Roberto Mancini has agreed to become Italy head coach for a second time, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malagò, announced on Tuesday. Claudio Ranieri will take over as technical director, replacing Paolo Maldini.
Mancini replaces Gattuso after World Cup failure
Mancini replaces Gennaro Gattuso, who left the post in April after Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup. Mancini previously held the role from 2018 to 2023, leading the national team to European Championship glory in 2021 with a penalty shootout victory over England at Wembley. However, he then failed to reach the 2022 World Cup and had a slow start to Euro 2024 qualifying. In total, Mancini managed Italy for 58 matches during his first spell.
Ranieri takes over as technical director
Claudio Ranieri, 74, replaces Paolo Maldini as technical director. Ranieri led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2016. He will oversee technical operations and elite football development across Italy's national team structures. “I needed someone with whom I could share the decision on the coach, because without that shared view my reasoning would have carried little weight,” Malagò said. “So consequently, we have a new coach and a new technical director for Italy.”
Maldini resigns after Pirlo appointment blocked
Former FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and his adviser, Leonardo, resigned from their roles on Monday after Andrea Pirlo’s appointment as head coach was blocked due to the former midfielder’s ties to a Russian betting firm. Pep Guardiola was the association’s first choice but turned down the job last month.
