Roberto Mancini Returns to Lead Italy National Team

Italian newspaper Tuttosport has revealed that the Italian Football Federation has decided to reappoint Roberto Mancini as the head coach of the national team, following the chaos that ensued after the decision to withdraw Andrea Pirlo's appointment for the role, which was compounded by the resignations of Paolo Maldini and Leonardo.

The decision to reinstate Mancini comes after his successful previous stint with the national team, where he led Italy to win the UEFA Euro 2020 (held in 2021) by defeating England at Wembley Stadium in a penalty shootout. However, he later failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after a loss to North Macedonia in the European playoff.

The report added that Claudio Ranieri has been selected to take on the role of technical director for the Italian national team, despite his name not being mentioned during the recent federation meeting.

Claudio Ranieri had previously rejected an invitation from FIGC President Gabriele Gravina to take over the national team following Luciano Spalletti's exit, in an attempt to salvage Italy's hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, before the opportunity slipped away with a defeat against Bosnia in Zenica.

Thus, the Italian national team returns to a choice from the past, in an attempt to restore stability and end the crisis that has shaken Italian football in recent days.