After 16 days of chaos, can Italian football reset for new era?
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- FIGC president Giovanni Malago re-hired Roberto Mancini as Italy manager, ending a 16-day search in which his preferred vision clashed with the federation's newly appointed technical leadership
- Paolo Maldini and special advisor Leonardo resigned after just 16 days in their roles, with Malago citing an absence of "shared vision" on the Mancini choice
- Andrea Pirlo was blocked by FIGC hierarchy from becoming manager due to his role promoting a Russian betting company, including sponsored visits to Moscow after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine
- Pep Guardiola declined the Italy job to extend his planned break from football, while Carlo Ancelotti reportedly also rejected the post
- Claudio Ranieri, aged 74, was appointed to succeed Maldini as technical director
- Roberto Mancini returns as manager having previously walked out on Italy mid-cycle to take a "handsomely paid" role managing Saudi Arabia
- A FIGC report found Serie A ranks 49th of 50 leagues globally for minutes played by under-21 players, with only 32.1% of Serie A players eligible for Italy
Why it matters: Malago promised a "new era" of reform but landed on a retread hire in Mancini, who previously abandoned Italy mid-cycle for Saudi Arabia. The federation's own data — Serie A ranked 49th of 50 leagues for under-21 minutes, with only 32.1% of its players eligible for Italy — suggests the structural decline behind three straight World Cup absences won't be solved by the dugout shuffle.
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