Mancini’s Return to the Azzurri
Roberto Mancini has been appointed as the manager of Italy for a second time. This announcement follows a period of uncertainty for the national team, including the withdrawal of Andrea Pirlo from consideration and the resignations of technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president, Giovanni Malago, stated his belief that Mancini was the best candidate for the head coach position.
Mancini, 61, previously managed the Azzurri from 2018 to 2023. During his initial tenure, he led Italy to victory in Euro 2020, where they defeated England in the final at Wembley. His leadership also saw the team achieve a world record 37-game unbeaten run. However, Italy failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, losing to North Macedonia in a play-off, which ultimately led to Mancini’s resignation in August 2023.
After his departure from the Italian national team, Mancini had a brief spell with the Saudi Arabia national team before moving to the Qatari side Al Sadd. While at Al Sadd, his team won the Qatar Stars League, but they did not advance to the final four of the AFC Champions League Elite and were defeated in the Qatar Cup final. Mancini left his role with Al Sadd in June.
Recent Challenges for Italian Football
The Italian national team has faced significant challenges in recent years, notably failing to qualify for the last three men’s World Cups. The team’s absence from this summer’s tournament marked another disappointment. Following this, Gennaro Gattuso left his role as Italy boss in April, with his contract terminated by mutual consent. Silvio Baldini, the Under-21 manager, had temporarily taken over the team after Gattuso’s departure.
The search for a new manager became complicated after Pirlo, who had seemed poised to take the role, withdrew his candidacy. Reports indicated that his potential appointment faced public backlash due to his connections with a Russian betting company. This controversy reportedly led to the FIGC president vetoing Pirlo’s hiring, which in turn prompted the resignations of Maldini and Leonardo, who had only started their roles three weeks prior.
Before Pirlo was considered, the FIGC had approached both Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti regarding the Italy job. Guardiola reportedly declined, opting to take a year off. Claudio Ranieri, known for leading Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015-16, will now replace Maldini as technical director.
Mancini’s Coaching History and Future Outlook
Mancini’s coaching career includes notable successes at the club level. He guided Manchester City to their first Premier League title in 2012. He also achieved success with Italian clubs, winning the Coppa Italia with both Lazio and Inter Milan, and securing three Serie A titles with Inter. His coaching journey also included stints with Galatasaray and Zenit St Petersburg before he first took on the Italy job in 2018.
Despite their past successes on the international stage, Italy has not participated in a World Cup finals since 2014. Since winning the World Cup in 2006, the only team Italy has defeated in a World Cup match is Roy Hodgson’s England. The current situation for Italian football has been described by some as a “disastro totale,” or total disaster, highlighting the need for stability and renewed success.
With Mancini’s return, the focus will now shift to the upcoming fixtures. Italy is scheduled to begin their Nations League campaign on September 25, with a home match against Belgium. Three days later, the team will travel to face Turkey.
Source: bbc.com
