Former Italy manager Roberto Mancini will return for a second spell as national team coach, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giovanni Malago said on Tuesday, while Claudio Ranieri will take over as technical director.
Mancini will replace Gennaro Gattuso, who left the post in April following a World Cup qualifying defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina, the third time in a row the four-times world champions had failed to reach the global showpiece event.
Malago announced the appointment during a Federal Council
meeting.
“Mancini is the coach,” he said before confirming the
decision at a press conference.
“I believed that the best person to become head coach was
Roberto Mancini,” Malago told reporters.
The 61-year-old Mancini guided Italy to the European
Championship title in 2021.
He led Italy in 58 matches during his first spell and at
club level has managed Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Manchester
City, where he spent three years and guided them to their first
Premier League title in 2011-12.
Former FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser
Leonardo resigned from their roles on Monday after their primary
candidate for the Italy coach’s position, Andrea Pirlo, had his
appointment blocked due to his ties to a Russian betting firm.
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who was the
FIGC’s first choice to take charge of the national team, turned
down the job this month.
Ranieri will take up the role of FIGC technical director,
replacing Maldini.
The 74-year-old coach, who famously led Leicester City to a
shock English Premier League title in 2016, will oversee
technical operations and elite football development across
Italy’s national team structures.
“I needed someone with whom I could share the decision on
the coach, because without that shared view my reasoning would
have carried little weight,” Malago said.
“So consequently, today we have a new coach and a new
technical director for Italy.”
Source: Khaleej Times