From Pirlo to Mancini and Then to Ranieri: How FIGC Chose a Coach for Italy’s National Team and What the Main Goal Is Now
The process of selecting a head coach for the Italian national team was far from smooth and involved significant internal turmoil within the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). In the end, FIGC President Giovanni Malagò opted against Andrea Pirlo at the last moment and placed his bet on Roberto Mancini — a coach many had considered out of the running due to his work in the Middle East.
Why Mancini Was Chosen
Although Pirlo was among the frontrunners, he inadvertently undermined his candidacy by getting involved with a Russian betting company during the 2026 World Cup — an episode that gave officials a strong reason to drop his nomination. Meanwhile, Mancini’s track record at the club level (league titles in the Premier League and Serie A) and his success with the national team at Euro 2020 made him a cult figure for Italian fans. Under his leadership, the “Azzurri” moved away from the traditional catenaccio style, embracing a vertical game and imposing their own tempo. The team’s metrics during that period were convincing: average ball possession of 54.6 %, pass accuracy of 86.7 %, and 2.6 clear scoring chances per match. It was under Mancini that players like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nicolò Barella, Manuel Locatelli, and Federico Chiesa came into their own.
The Setback and Departure from the National Team
Nevertheless, Mancini’s tenure at the helm of the national team ended after a disappointing performance in the World Cup play‑offs, when Italy lost to North Macedonia despite having a huge edge in shots (32), corners (16), and ball possession (65 %). A wave of criticism nearly swept the coach away, but his prior achievements helped preserve his reputation. A year later, the national team partially redeemed itself by winning the UEFA Nations League bronze medal. Mancini later left the post voluntarily following a conflict with FIGC chief Gabriele Gravina: the coach claimed he was obstructed in forming his staff, while the official viewed the departure as a betrayal.
Middle Eastern Stint and Return to Italy
Just two weeks after leaving, Mancini took charge of the Saudi Arabia national team on a €30 million‑per‑year contract — at the time, only Diego Simeone earned more. However, he did not achieve notable success there: the team was eliminated from the Asian Cup in the round of 16, conceding an equalizer against South Korea in the 90+9th minute and then losing in a penalty shootout. Saudi football authorities finally lost patience during the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, when the team managed only 8 points in six matches.
After a brief sabbatical, Mancini accepted an offer from Qatar’s Al Sadd from Doha. With this club, he restored stability and secured the league title in the 2025/2026 season. After finishing his stint in Qatar, the coach hoped to return to the Italian national team but faced the risk of being left out: FIGC was seriously considering Pirlo. In the end, Mancini got the job, while his opponents within the federation found themselves sidelined from the decision‑making process.
Crisis in Italian Football and Personnel Issues
Since Mancini’s departure in 2023, Italy’s national team has visibly declined: its current level no longer allows it to compete confidently against teams like Spain, France, England, or even Norway. Defeats against less prominent opponents (such as Bosnia and Herzegovina) have become a pattern rather than a shock. The “Azzurri” roster now includes only a handful of truly standout performers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Federico Dimarco, Sandro Tonali, and Nicolò Barella. Yet, when they put on the national jersey, their individual qualities often fail to shine through, and the team looks weaker than the sum of its parts.
Another worrying sign is the low demand for Italian players in Europe’s top leagues. Donnarumma and Tonali play for clubs that are not among the undisputed elite; Chiesa joined Liverpool as a player who had lost some of his former sparkle; and Bastoni’s rumored links to Real Madrid and Barcelona never materialized into concrete offers. The exception is Marco Palestra’s transfer from Atalanta to Chelsea for €57 million, but even that move raises questions due to Chelsea’s profligate spending and the player’s limited track record.
Serie A is no longer the magnet for top clubs it was in the 2000s and 2010s, when stars like Buffon, Maldini, Pirlo, and Del Piero drew constant interest. Nowadays, academies rarely produce top‑tier talents comparable to Palestra and Francesco Pio Esposito, and clubs increasingly rely on foreign players, pushing domestic talent to the bench.
New Personnel Shifts at FIGC
The controversy surrounding Pirlo’s potential appointment triggered major changes inside the federation: Technical Director Paolo Maldini and his advisor Leonardo resigned after just 16 days, dissatisfied with the way President Malagò handled the matter. Attempts to bring in Giorgio Chiellini also failed: he chose to stay at Juventus rather than face the turbulence of the national team.
As a backup option, FIGC turned to Claudio Ranieri, who had recently left his role as an advisor to Roma’s board due to disagreements with coach Gian Piero Gasperini over transfer policy. Ranieri has often served as a “firefighter” for struggling teams, and this time he agreed to take on the challenge of saving the national team.
Prospects and Objectives
On paper, the Mancini–Ranieri duo looks more solid than the hypothetical Pirlo–Maldini pairing. Their immediate goal is to secure Italy’s qualification for the 2030 World Cup. But their mission is broader: they must lay the groundwork not only for consistent qualification to world championships but also for a future World Cup victory — after all, the four stars on the team’s emblem demand ambitious thinking.
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