Roberto Mancini has been reappointed as Italy’s head coach, returning to the national team after a tumultuous coaching search, Yankee Scores reports.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed Mancini’s return on Tuesday, with FIGC president Giovanni Malagò making the announcement at a meeting of the Federal Council.
Roberto Mancini è il nuovo Commissario Tecnico della Nazionale 🇮🇹💙#Nazionale #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/PioBpZX6TS
— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) July 28, 2026
According to BBC, The 61-year-old previously coached Italy from 2018 to 2023, taking the Azzurri to a stunning European Championship success in 2021.
He returns to the responsibility of rebuilding a team that has been through a difficult era and has failed to qualify for the 2026 World Cup, its third consecutive absence from football’s biggest tournament.
Mancini’s appointment comes after a messy hunt for a successor to Gennaro Gattuso.
Pirlo has been linked with a host of high-profile names including Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti before the FIGC turned its attention to him.
But Pirlo’s candidacy fell amid a dispute over his commercial links with Russian gaming firm Fonbet.
The disagreement is cited as one of the reasons for the departure of technical director Paolo Maldini and his adviser Leonardo, who was backing Pirlo for the role.
The task for Mancini is to revive Italy’s fortunes and restore faith in the national squad. The FIGC will have a seasoned management team as it begins a new chapter, with Claudio Ranieri also being named technical director.
