Mancini returns as Italy head coach, Ranieri named technical director after Pirlo sponsorship storm

The vacancy that sparked a chain reaction

Italy's search for a new head coach began in earnest after Pep Guardiola, out of contract since leaving Manchester City at the end of the season, turned down an approach. FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini, appointed on 11 July, and his assistant Leonardo had sounded out the Catalan while the federation indicated it was willing to increase the budget to land him. With Guardiola unavailable, Maldini and Leonardo moved to Andrea Pirlo, the 2006 World Cup winner.

Pirlo's sponsorship derails the appointment

Pirlo, working in the United Arab Emirates at club United FC, appeared set to take over until public scrutiny fell on his ambassadorial deal with Russian betting agency Fonbet, signed in October 2025. The arrangement provoked a backlash that ultimately led FIGC president Giovanni Malagò to block the process. On Monday Pirlo posted on Instagram that he was no longer a candidate, saying a decision based on sporting criteria had become a public controversy.

The professional collaboration at the centre of the recent controversy arose in the course of my work in the United Arab Emirates and is exclusively commercial and sporting in nature.

Malagò told the federation council he took responsibility for halting Pirlo's candidacy. "He would have terminated his contract with the company for which he served as a brand ambassador, but, for a variety of reasons and due to other opportunities, I didn't feel comfortable with it," he said, adding that neither he nor the technical director had been aware of the Russian contract.

Maldini and Leonardo walk away

Maldini, who had seen Pirlo as the best alternative after Guardiola's refusal, resigned alongside Leonardo on Monday after barely two weeks in the role. Malagò described the separation as amicable, without polemics. The sudden vacancy left Italian football scrambling with the Nations League resuming in September and Euro 2028 qualifying, whose draw is set for December, starting in March 2027.

The Mancini-Ranieri ticket

Malagò then turned to Roberto Mancini, who had been out of work since a spell with Qatar's Al-Sadd and who only three weeks earlier had joked that coaching the "National Team of Politicians" would be difficult enough. Mancini accepted the offer, returning to the bench he occupied from 2018 to 2023. Claudio Ranieri, the former Leicester City and Roma manager, will serve as technical director and president of Club Italia, having been consulted by Malagò before the appointment.

I needed someone with whom to consult on the choice of head coach, because without that, my reasoning would have been worth nothing. The person with whom these decisions were discussed is Claudio Ranieri, who just a few minutes ago assured me of his commitment.

Mancini's first act

Mancini's first stint delivered the Euro 2020 title, a 37-match unbeaten run, and the heartbreak of failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after a playoff loss to North Macedonia. He then left abruptly in 2023 for Saudi Arabia. Now he faces the task of lifting a four-time world champion that has missed three consecutive World Cups. Malagò said Mancini apologised for his sudden departure in 2023, and a press conference to present both Mancini and Ranieri is scheduled for Wednesday.