Roberto Mancini reappointed as Italy coach after crisis

Roberto Mancini has been reappointed as head coach of the Italian national football team, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. The 61-year-old returns for a second spell to lead a team in crisis following its third consecutive failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup.

FIGC President Giovanni Malago announced the decision to the federation's council, stating that Mancini was the best person for the job. Mancini replaces Gennaro Gattuso, whose tenure ended by mutual consent in April after Italy lost a penalty shootout to Bosnia and Herzegovina in a UEFA qualifying playoff final. The Azzurri have now missed the World Cup tournaments in 2018, 2022, and 2026.

The appointment concludes a protracted and turbulent search that saw the federation's initial top targets, Pep Guardiola and Carlo Ancelotti, decline the role. Attention then turned to former midfielder Andrea Pirlo, who was reportedly close to an agreement. However, his commercial partnership as a global ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet drew significant political and internal criticism, leading Malago to block the appointment. Pirlo confirmed on Monday, July 27, that he...