Mancini Returns to Azzurri Amid FIGC Turmoil
Roberto Mancini is back in charge of the Azzurri. After weeks of confusion, blocked deals and internal resignations, the FIGC have turned to a familiar face to steady the Italy national team.
His return, confirmed via the federation’s official social media channels, comes after Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation in April left the bench vacant and the federation scrambling. Sky Italia report that Mancini will be formally presented on Wednesday. The 59-year-old has just left Qatari side Al-Sadd and now steps straight back into one of the most pressurised jobs in international football, following his recent spell with Saudi Arabia.
This was not the plan. Not at first.
Pirlo Blocked, Chaos Unleashed
The search for a new coach descended into turmoil when FIGC president Giovanni Malago dramatically vetoed Andrea Pirlo’s appointment at the last moment. Pirlo had been on the brink of taking over, only for Malago to intervene due to the former midfielder’s ambassadorial role with a Russian betting company.
The late U-turn detonated inside the federation. Technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo resigned on the spot, walking away after just 16 days in their posts. Two heavyweight figures, gone in an instant, leaving the FIGC exposed and the coaching hunt suddenly leaderless.
With time running out and the federation reeling, the options narrowed. Negotiations with several primary targets stalled or collapsed. Doors closed, one after another.
So Malago went back to the man he trusted most.
Malago Turns to Mancini – and Ranieri
Facing the media on Tuesday, Malago laid out his reasoning with unusual clarity. He needed a coach, quickly, and he wanted the best available.
“Time was running out and I thought the right person to be coach was Roberto Mancini. He's the best possible choice,” he said, underlining the urgency as much as the conviction.
The decision is not just about a coach, though. It’s about reshaping the power structure around the national team. Malago confirmed that Claudio Ranieri, the legendary former Leicester City manager, is joining as technical director, a move designed to bring authority and shared responsibility back into a shaken hierarchy.
“The role of technical director, not to be confused with other roles, has not disappeared,” Malago stressed. He revealed that an amendment to the FIGC statute had been approved, allowing another person to also serve as president of Club Italia. That tweak opens the door for a more flexible leadership model around the national side.
“I needed someone to share the choice of Roberto Mancini as coach, and that person is Claudio Ranieri, who signed his commitment a few minutes ago,” Malago added.
Ranieri’s arrival alongside Mancini instantly changes the tone. Two of Italy’s most respected coaching figures, now tasked with rebuilding not only a team, but trust in the project itself.
A Second Act for Mancini
Mancini returns from the international circuit hardened by his stint with Saudi Arabia and fresh from club football in Qatar. He knows the Azzurri environment, knows the glare, knows the scrutiny. This is not a romantic comeback; it is a calculated move in a moment of institutional stress.
The federation’s first choices slipped away, internal politics erupted, and reputations were dented. Out of that chaos, Mancini walks back into Coverciano with Ranieri at his side and Malago’s authority tied firmly to their success.
Now comes the only verdict that really matters in Italian football: what happens on the pitch.
