Mancini One Step Away from Leading Italy Until the 2030 World Cup

The Italian coach Roberto Mancini is very close to returning to lead the Italian national team for the second time in his career, after topping the list of candidates to succeed the current coaching staff amid advanced moves by the Italian Football Federation.

According to Italian journalist Nicolo Schira, the Italian federation has prepared a contract extending until 2030, with an annual salary of about two million euros, in a move aimed at providing stability to the new technical project for the Italian national team.

Mancini is considered the frontrunner for the position, benefiting from the great success he achieved during his first term between 2018 and 2023, when he led the Azzurri to win the UEFA Euro 2020 and brought the team back into contention on the continental stage.

Despite the agreement being close, there are still some formal procedures that need to be completed, most notably ending Mancini's association with Al Sadd of Qatar, as he is under contract until 2028. The official announcement may also be affected by administrative arrangements within the Italian federation in the coming weeks.