Roberto Mancini will take the helm of the Italian national team for the second time following the Pirlo scandal
Roberto Mancini has agreed to return as head coach of the Italian national team for a second time. The 61-year-old coach is expected to be officially named head coach of the “Squadra Azzurra” in the near future.
According to Romano, Roberto Mancini has already agreed to lead the Italian national team.
He previously coached the national team from 2018 to 2023, during which time he led the team to victory at Euro 2020 and set a then-world record of 37 consecutive matches without a loss.
This achievement was later surpassed by the Spanish national team, which set a new record after winning the 2026 World Cup final.
Previously, Andrea Pirlo was considered the leading candidate for the position of head coach of the Italian national team. However, according to media reports, his appointment did not materialize due to his collaboration with a Russian bookmaker.
It was also reported that Josep Guardiola declined to take the helm of the Italian national team.
These personnel changes come after the Italian national team’s disappointing performance in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
The Italians failed to qualify for the tournament, losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a penalty shootout in the playoff final.
Following this, the following individuals stepped down from their positions:
- Gennaro Gattuso — head coach of the national team;
- Gabriele Gravina — president of the Italian Football Federation;
- Gianluigi Buffon — head of the national team delegation.
Failing to qualify for the 2026 World Cup was a historic blow for Italian soccer.
Italy became the first World Cup champion to miss three consecutive World Cups. The last time the “Squadra Azzurra” competed in the World Cup finals was back in 2014.
Roberto Mancini’s return is expected to mark the beginning of a new phase in the national team’s rebuilding and an attempt to restore it to the ranks of the world’s leading national teams.
This was reported by the authoritative soccer insider Fabrizio Romano.
Former Italian national team player Andrea Pirlo stated that he is no longer a candidate for the position of head coach of the national team. According to him, he learned of the withdrawal of his candidacy the day before.
Legendary French soccer player and coach Zinedine Zidane has officially become the new head coach of the French national team. The 54-year-old coach replaced Didier Deschamps in this role and returned to coaching after a five-year hiatus.
