Officially: Mancini appointed as Italy manager

Mancini 2-1

Return to the past

The Italian Football Federation has settled the debate over who will make up the Italy national team's new coaching staff. Roberto Mancini is officially back to lead the Azzurri, and Claudio Ranieri arrives as the federation's technical director.

Federation president Giovanni Malagò confirmed Mancini's appointment as head coach on Tuesday. It marks the veteran's return to the role he left in 2023, when he opted for a new venture with the Saudi Arabia national team.

Malagò told a press conference: "I saw that Roberto Mancini was the best person to take charge of coaching the Italian national team."

Mancini comes back off the back of a successful first spell. He spent five years in charge and delivered the European Championship, winning Euro 2020 with a penalty shootout victory over England in the final.

Ranieri's appointment as technical director rounds off the reshuffle. The federation wants his experience to bring stability to its administrative and technical setup after the crises of recent days.

These changes follow a run of upheaval inside the Italian Federation. It began with the collapse of the Andrea Pirlo file, before Paolo Maldini and Leonardo announced their departures shortly after taking up their responsibilities.

With Mancini in the dugout and Ranieri in the administrative structure, the federation hopes to draw a line under the turmoil. The plan is to build a new project that returns the Azzurri to the European and world stage.