Italy appoints Mancini as national team coach for 2nd stint

Roberto Mancini returned as coach of Italy's national football team for a second spell after the team announced his appointment on Tuesday.

"Roberto Mancini is the new Head Coach of the National Team," the Azzurri wrote on US social media platform X.

Mancini, currently a free agent after a spell with Qatar's Al-Sadd, takes over after the national team's coaching search descended into turmoil following the collapse of Andrea Pirlo's expected appointment.

The former Sampdoria and Lazio forward also coached Turkish club Galatasaray during the 2013-14 season before returning to international management.

Mancini previously guided Italy to the UEFA Euro 2020 title but also oversaw the team's failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup before leaving the national side in 2023 to take charge of Saudi Arabia.

Pirlo, a member of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad, had emerged as the leading candidate after Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declined the role last week.

However, his appointment was reportedly blocked following controversy over his sponsorship of Russian betting company Fonbet, triggering a crisis within the federation.

According to ANSA, Italian Soccer Federation Technical Director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo resigned less than three weeks after taking up their roles over the decision.

The report added that former Leicester City and AS Roma manager Claudio Ranieri is expected to become the federation's new technical director.