Mancini Returns as Italy Coach After Pirlo Blocked
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- Roberto Mancini was appointed Italy coach by FIGC president Giovanni Malagò on Tuesday, returning four years after his 2023 dismissal from the role.
- Andrea Pirlo was the leading candidate for the job but was blocked by Malagò over his ties to Russian betting firm Fonbet, where Pirlo became a global ambassador in October.
- Paolo Maldini resigned as technical director after just 16 days in the role, and Leonardo stepped down as team advisor on Monday — both had backed Pirlo for the coaching position.
- Mancini led Italy to the 2021 European Championship but resigned in August 2023, then managed Saudi Arabia's national team and most recently Al Sadd in Qatar.
- Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola reportedly turned down the Italy job before Pirlo emerged as the leading candidate, according to the source.
- Claudio Ranieri will become Italy's new technical director, while Giorgio Chiellini has been touted as a candidate to succeed Maldini but said he is happy at Juventus.
- Italy has been without a permanent coach since Gennaro Gattuso resigned after April's World Cup playoff loss to Bosnia-Herzegovina, which left the Azzurri missing a third consecutive men's World Cup.
Why it matters: Italy's federation chose ethics over consensus when Malagò blocked Maldini and Leonardo's preferred candidate, Pirlo, over his Russian betting firm ties — triggering Maldini's resignation after just 16 days. The fallout leaves Mancini, who previously oversaw Italy's failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, in charge of a federation in open turmoil.
