Roberto Mancini will be the new national coach of Italy. © ANSA / CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI / Z22

From traitor to savior? Mancini returns.

The search for a new national football coach for Italy has finally come to an end after much back and forth.

July 28, 2026

From: dpa/dl

After three years in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, Roberto Mancini, who led the Azzurri to the 2021 European Championship, is returning. The 61-year-old is tasked with getting the national team, which has missed three consecutive World Cups, back into top form. This was announced by the president of the Italian Football Federation, Giovanni Malagò, in Rome. Former AS Roma coach Claudio Ranieri is set to become the federation's new technical director, and thus also the new technical director for the senior national team.

The position of Commissario Tecnico (the official title for the national team coach in Italy) had been vacant since the beginning of April. At that time, the previous coach, Gennaro Gattuso, had to resign because the four-time world champions had failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive year. The intensive search for a successor began several weeks ago. However, in recent days the situation has descended into chaos.

A lot of chaos in the last few days.

Last week, the surprise top candidate, Pep Guardiola, declined the offer. Andrea Pirlo, who led Italy to the World Cup title in Germany in 2006 as playmaker, was then considered as a second option. However, his close ties to Russia proved to be his downfall: Pirlo currently coaches United FC in Dubai, a club owned by a Russian billionaire. He also promotes a Russian betting company and was in Moscow for autograph sessions in the midst of the war in Ukraine.

Roberto Mancini (left) won the European Championship with Italy in 2021, but subsequently missed out on qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. © APA/afp / -

According to reports in various newspapers, federation president Malagò therefore vetoed Pirlo's signing. There had also been massive criticism of such an appointment from within Italian politics. Subsequently, Paolo Maldini, the technical director appointed just two weeks prior, and his advisor Leonardo – both former world-class players – resigned from their federation positions. Despite everything, the two would apparently have liked to sign Pirlo. A four-year contract until the 2030 World Cup with an annual salary of €1,5 million, plus performance bonuses, was under discussion.

Mancini had betrayed Italy

Now, it seems Mancini is to lead the Squadra Azzurra back to its former glory – he's also a personal friend of the federation president. The 61-year-old was already the national coach from 2018 to 2023. However, his reputation in Italy still suffers from the fact that three years ago, despite having a contract, he suddenly left to take up a position in Saudi Arabia – reportedly with a four-year contract worth €25 million per season. He only stayed for a little over a year, though. Then he moved – certainly also for a hefty sum – to Qatar to coach Al-Sadd.

Roberto Mancini went to Saudi Arabia three years ago. © ANSA / GEORGIOS KEFALAS

As a player, Mancini was a striker for Sampdoria in the 1980s and 1990s. He won the Italian Cup four times and the league title once. Later, he played for Lazio and Leicester City in England. As a club coach, he won national championships with Inter Milan and Manchester City. Italy's next matches are at the end of September in the Nations League against Belgium and Turkey, followed by a game against France.

Ranieri instead of Chiellini

According to reports, Mancini will be joined by 74-year-old Ranieri as Technical Director at the federation. Ranieri, who has held more than a dozen positions both domestically and internationally, most recently coached AS Roma until last year. At Roma, he later became manager and did not get along with coach Gian Piero Gasperini.

Claudio Ranieri is set to become the new sporting director. © ANSA / ANGELO CARCONI

Giorgio Chiellini, a member of the 2021 European Championship-winning team, was also briefly considered for the position. However, the 41-year-old stated that he was happy with his work as manager at Juventus. "I see my present and future at Juve," Chiellini explained.