Roberto Mancini is officially returning as Italy head coach, three years after leaving for Saudi Arabia, with Claudio Ranieri appointed as the new technical director of Club Italia, FIGC President Giovanni Malagò confirmed on Tuesday.
The announcement caps an extraordinary 17-day saga that saw Paolo Maldini and Leonardo resign as technical director and special advisor respectively, after their chosen candidate Andrea Pirlo was blocked over his global brand ambassador contract with a sanctioned Russian gambling operator.
Malagò presented Mancini and Ranieri at a press conference, describing the former Leicester City manager's appointment as a "cultural shift" for Italian football.
"Italian football is going through a difficult moment, but we have the experience and the passion to rebuild," Malagò said. "Roberto Mancini knows what it means to lead this team, and Claudio Ranieri brings decades of wisdom as technical director."
Mancini previously led Italy from 2018 to 2023, masterminding their EURO 2020 triumph in 2021 but also suffering the humiliation of failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — the fourth consecutive time Italy missed the tournament. After leaving the Azzurri post in 2023, he spent a year with Saudi Arabian side Al-Sadd before being passed over for the Saudi national team job.
"I'm excited to return," Mancini said. "This is a different project from 2018. We have young talent coming through, and with Claudio's guidance on the structure, I believe we can build something sustainable."
Ranieri, 74, retired from coaching in 2024 but was convinced to return by his beloved Roma in November 2024 to see out the 2024-25 season. He now takes on the newly strengthened Club Italia technical director role, which includes oversight of youth development, coaching pathways, and the national team setup.
The pair will hold a joint press conference on Wednesday at 18:00 local time to outline their vision ahead of Italy's preparations for the 2026 World Cup, where the Azzurri have been drawn in Group H alongside the United States and New Zealand.
Sources
- https://football-italia.net/official-italy-appoint-mancini-coach-ranieri/
- https://football-italia.net/malago-confirms-italy-pirlo-and-mancini/
