Roberto Mancini to return as Italy coach; Claudio Ranieri appointed technical director
The president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), Giovanni Malago said on Tuesday that Roberto Mancini has agreed to return as Italy head coach for a second spell, and that Claudio Ranieri will take on the role of technical director. Mancini succeeds Gennaro Gattuso, who left the post in April after Italy failed to qualify for a third World Cup in succession.
Mancini resumes a position he held from 2018 to 2023, a period that included Italy’s European Championship triumph in 2021 after a penalty shootout victory over England at Wembley. During his first stint in charge he managed the national side for 58 matches. At club level Mancini’s résumé includes spells at Inter and Fiorentina and a three-year tenure at Manchester City, where he guided the club to their first Premier League title in 2011-12. Claudio Ranieri will assume the overseeing role previously held by Paolo Maldini.
The change in the national-team leadership follows a turbulent qualification campaign that left Italy outside the World Cup for the second successive tournament, prompting Gennaro Gattuso’s departure in April. The FIGC moved to fill the vacancy by turning to a familiar figure in Mancini, whose earlier term brought a return to major-tournament success for the Azzurri. The federation framed the appointments as part of a restructuring of the national setup.
Mancini’s first tenure with Italy is defined by the Euro 2021 victory at Wembley, achieved via penalties against England, and by a run of matches that totalled 58 appearances in the dugout. His domestic management career has spanned clubs in Serie A and the Premier League, most notably at Manchester City where his three seasons culminated in the 2011-12 championship. Those experiences form the professional background he brings back to the national role.
Claudio Ranieri’s appointment as technical director replaces Paolo Maldini in the overseeing capacity, placing a veteran manager into the federation’s supervisory structure. Ranieri’s new responsibilities were announced alongside Mancini’s return by the FIGC presidency, signalling a dual change at both coaching and technical levels. The federation has positioned the two appointments as complementary parts of the national programme.
The FIGC announcement on Tuesday confirmed the personnel changes without disclosing detailed timelines for when Mancini and Ranieri will begin their duties or how staff beneath them will be restructured. The immediate priority cited in public statements remains stabilising the national team following its World Cup qualification failure and preparing for forthcoming fixtures. The federation has indicated the appointments are intended to restore continuity and experienced leadership.
The return of Roberto Mancini and the elevation of Claudio Ranieri mark a clear reshuffle within the FIGC’s sporting leadership. Giovanni Malago’s confirmation on Tuesday formalised the changes that will replace Gennaro Gattuso and hand Paolo Maldini’s overseeing responsibilities to Ranieri, setting a new framework for Italy’s national-team management.