Roberto Mancini named Italy head coach
By Joel Masibo, July 28, 2026Roberto Mancini has been named Italy’s head coach once again, marking his return to the national team for a second tenure, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, after efforts to appoint former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hit failed.
The 61-year-old replaces Gennaro Gattuso, who left the position after Italy missed out on qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The failure means the four-time world champions will have missed three consecutive editions of the global tournament.
Mancini previously managed the Azzurri between 2018 and 2023, a period highlighted by their triumph at UEFA Euro 2020. He later stepped down from the role before accepting the job of coaching Saudi Arabia’s national side.
Alongside Mancini’s appointment, FIGC president Giovanni Malago announced that former Roma boss Claudio Ranieri will serve as the federation’s new technical director.
“Today we have a new coach and a new technical director,” Malago told reporters, announcing another press conference with Mancini and Ranieri on Wednesday.
“I felt that the person who should be and become the Italian national football team’s head coach was Roberto Mancini, for a whole series of considerations for which, as always, I honestly take responsibility.” He said.
The latest changes within Italian football came after the national team suffered a 2-1 loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a World Cup playoff in March. The defeat triggered the departures of both then-FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and head coach Gattuso.
Following Malago’s election as FIGC president in June, the federation faced a challenging search for a new manager. He brought in former AC Milan captain Paolo Maldini as technical director and ex-Brazil international Leonardo as an adviser to help oversee the recruitment process.
Getting down to business
“The new coach will have two training sessions to prepare for the first game,” Malago said of journalists saying Italy would have to change coach again if they are relegated in the Nations League.
“Since Italy lost the play-off to Bosnia, I don’t think we gave passports to Lamine Yamal, (Kylian) Mbappe and (Harry) Kane… So are we being serious here?
“(We) must try to do the best with what we have, also safeguard our European ranking in a group against teams that were all at the World Cup, Turkey, Belgium and France.
“If you want to be objective and serious, finishing fourth in that group is logical,” he added.
Several high-profile names, including Antonio Conte, Pep Guardiola, Carlo Ancelotti and Mancini, were reportedly considered for the position. Andrea Pirlo was also said to be close to securing the role before reports linked him to controversy surrounding connections with a Russian betting company, ending his chances. Maldini and Leonardo later resigned from their respective positions just 16 days after being appointed.
Mancini’s second spell in charge will officially begin with Italy’s UEFA Nations League campaign in September 2026 where the Azzurri have been drawn in a group featuring France, Belgium and Türkiye.