Roberto Mancini will return to the position of Italy’s national coach, announced today the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malagò, with Claudio Ranieri set to become the new technical director.
“Time was running short and I considered that the person who should become the coach of the Italian national team was Roberto Mancini, for a series of reasons, for which I take responsibility,” he stated at a press conference, at which he revealed that Ranieri will replace Paolo Maldini.
Read more about this topic: Pirlo laments being vetoed for Italy national team over Russian betting sponsor; Maldini could resign after being appointed July 11th
After having been coach of Qatar’s Al-Sadd last season, Mancini returns to lead the ‘squadra azzurra,’ with whom he was in charge between 2018 and 2023, having won the 2020 European Championship, contested in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Italy legend Paolo Maldini was appointed on July 11th as technical director but stepped down just sixteen days later, on July 27, after the Italian Football Federation blocked his choice to bring in Andrea Pirlo as national team manager. The federation pointed to Pirlo’s work as a brand ambassador for a Russian betting company as the reason for rejecting the appointment
