Italy : after 15 days of chaos, the Azzurri are back with Roberto Mancini
After exploring several options, watching Andrea Pirlo turn down the job and seeing Paolo Maldini and Leonardo walk away, the Italian federation has finally handed the national team reins to Roberto Mancini. The saga ended in a way few saw coming just a few days ago. It has the feel of a step back, because the 61-year-old knows the place inside out already.
His name had slowly faded from the conversation when the FIGC launched its big rebuilding project. Then the last few days blew the whole thing apart. In a matter of hours, the Pirlo plan collapsed and the federation was forced to rip up its notes and move fast, trying to stop the uncertainty from spreading any further around the Azzurri.
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Continuity wins out after a string of twists
Roberto Mancini was not the only name on the list. Antonio Conte was also in the frame, while Pep Guardiola was sounded out before turning down the Italian approach. After that run of setbacks, the FIGC decided to go with a coach whose methods and routines it already knows.
Between 2018 and 2023, Mancini had given the national side fresh life, most notably by winning Euro 2021. His return comes in very different circumstances, with a team trying to find some stability on and off the pitch after a highly turbulent spell.
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A very different job from the first time round
This time, Roberto Mancini is not coming back to build a long-term project from a strong base. He takes over a side weakened by recent results and a federation shaken by a governance crisis that badly disrupted the search for a new head coach.
The former manager returns to familiar surroundings, but under far more pressure than when he arrived in 2018. After missing the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cups, Italy wants more than a new face in the dugout. It wants direction. It wants Mancini to put the Azzurri back on track.
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