Italy has just recalled the man who restored its pride, but the setting is far from a fairy tale. On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, Roberto Mancini was chosen to take over the national team, three years after a departure that deeply divided the country. European Champion with the Azzurri in 2021, the 61-year-old coach now returns with a much heavier mission: to rebuild a team that has just missed a third consecutive World Cup.

This appointment goes beyond a simple change of coach. It comes after several days of confusion, marked by the failure of the Andrea Pirlo option, Pep Guardiola’s refusal, and the swift resignations of Paolo Maldini and Leonardo from their federal responsibilities. For a nation that has won the World Cup four times, the reality is harsh: Italian football is no longer just looking for a coach. It seeks direction, identity, and a reason to believe that its decline can finally stop.

A Spectacular Return After Missing a Third World Cup

The Italian Football Federation has confirmed Roberto Mancini’s return to the helm of the Nazionale. FIGC President Giovanni Malagò presented this choice to the federal council, while Claudio Ranieri is set to play a central role as technical director. The duo brings together two immensely experienced coaches, associated with some of the greatest moments in Italian and European football.

The urgency is immense. Italy has not participated in a World Cup since 2014. After missing out in 2018 and 2022, its new failure to qualify for the 2026 tournament has created a crisis that can no longer be considered an accident. A whole generation of Italian supporters has grown up without seeing the Squadra Azzurra on the biggest stage of world football.

Why Mancini Still Appears as the Man of the Last Great Memory

The choice of Mancini carries an obvious emotional weight. Between 2018 and 2023, he transformed a team traumatized by its absence from the Russian World Cup. His Italy played with audacity, pressed high, retained possession, and seemed liberated from the weight of its history. This reconstruction culminated at Wembley in July 2021, with a victory at the Euro against England.

Under his leadership, the Azzurri also established an international record of 37 matches unbeaten, a world record at the time. Mancini managed to integrate new players, restore a collective culture, and convince a skeptical nation that a more offensive Italian football was possible. These memories explain why his name remains powerful, despite the painful end of his first term.

The Departure of 2023 Has Never Been Completely Forgotten

However, the return will not be met with unanimous confidence. In August 2023, Roberto Mancini unexpectedly resigned before becoming the coach of Saudi Arabia a few weeks later. This sequence was experienced as a brutal break by part of the Italian public, especially as the team was already seeking to stabilize after failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

Returning means repairing two stories at once: that of a team in crisis and that of a damaged relationship between Mancini and Italy. Results may soothe the controversy, but they will not automatically erase it. The coach will need to explain his project, demonstrate that it is sustainable, and convince that his second term is not merely an attempt to artificially recreate the summer of 2021.

Pirlo Set Aside, Maldini and Leonardo Gone: The Behind-the-Scenes Chaos

The appointment comes after a particularly tumultuous search for a coach. Andrea Pirlo seemed close to the position, but his candidacy was abandoned amid controversy related to his business ties with a Russian betting company. Pep Guardiola was also approached but did not follow up. Meanwhile, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, who had recently arrived to participate in the reconstruction, left their positions.

This succession of episodes has painted a picture of a federation beset by deep disagreements. Mancini does not arrive in a calm structure that would simply allow him to focus on the field. He joins an institution that must restore its credibility, clarify its governance, and reduce the distance between the national team, clubs, and training centers.

Claudio Ranieri, the Other Key Figure in the Rescue Operation

The announced arrival of Claudio Ranieri as technical director adds another dimension to the project. At 74, the former Leicester coach, who unexpectedly became the English champion in 2016, possesses rare experience in dressing rooms, Italian clubs, and international football. His calm and authority can serve as a counterbalance in a shaken federation.

However, the success of the duo will depend on a clear distribution of powers. Mancini must remain in charge of the sporting project of the national team, while Ranieri will need to think more broadly about continuity between youth teams, training, and the senior team. Italy will not rise again solely due to a new lineup in the next match. It must create more players ready for the highest level and provide them with time in clubs.

The Real Italian Problem Goes Beyond the Coach

The temptation would be to present Mancini as a savior. This would overlook the fact that Italy’s difficulties are structural. Serie A remains a prestigious league, followed worldwide and capable of producing competitive teams in Europe. However, young Italian players often struggle to accumulate minutes at the highest level, while infrastructures, technical training, and governance progress at uneven rates.

The lack of offensive efficiency, instability around the coach’s position, and absence of continuity have also weakened the Nazionale. Mancini is aware of these problems, having already attempted to broaden the pool of players during his first term. This time, his challenge will be to move faster without sacrificing coherence. Euro 2028 will be the first major verdict, but the true horizon is the 2030 World Cup.

A Decision That Concerns All European Football

Mancini’s return will have consequences beyond Italy. The internationals play in the biggest European leagues, and every choice made by the coach will influence their status at club level. Players from Inter, Juventus, AC Milan, Napoli, or Atalanta will be watched, as will Italians established in the Premier League and other major markets.

For France, Spain, Germany, and England, a competitive Italy would immediately change the balance of upcoming competitions. Few teams possess such a history, such tactical culture, and such an ability to transform when the pressure reaches its peak. However, prestige no longer automatically qualifies for tournaments: Italy has paid the price three times.

Mancini Can No Longer Afford Nostalgia

Roberto Mancini’s second term begins with a fascinating contradiction. He is recalled because he embodies the last great Italian triumph, but he can only succeed by refusing to live in that memory. The team of 2021 no longer exists. Opponents have evolved, key players have aged, and a new generation must take power.

The FIGC’s choice is both reassuring and risky. Reassuring because Mancini knows the environment, the jersey, and the pressure. Risky because a return can easily become an exercise in nostalgia or a temporary solution to an institutional crisis. In the coming months, every squad list, every young call-up, and every tactical decision will be interpreted as a signal.

Italy has recalled its former champion to prevent the absence from the World Cup from becoming its new normal. The challenge is now simply formulated and terribly difficult to accomplish: to transform the shock of 2026 into a starting point, to rebuild a credible team for Euro 2028, and finally to bring the Azzurri back to the world stage in 2030. This time, Roberto Mancini must not only win matches. He must save a story.

Reliable Sources

• FIGC — Official staff of the Italian national team, accessed July 28, 2026.
• ANSA — Announcement of Roberto Mancini’s return by Giovanni Malagò, July 28, 2026.
• Sky Sports — Mancini’s return and Claudio Ranieri’s arrival, July 28, 2026.
• Associated Press — Mancini recalled after Italy’s third consecutive World Cup miss, July 28, 2026.
• Le Monde — Mancini’s return to a crisis-stricken Italian federation, July 28, 2026.