European Champion 2021
Italy coach Mancini resigns – speculation about reasons
Mancini has surprisingly resigned as national coach. photo
© Emmanuele Mastrodonato/LPS via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
After five years, Roberto Mancini’s time as Italy’s national coach comes to an unexpected end. Media speculate about an interest from Saudi Arabia. The timing is particularly important.
Italian media reported an offer for the coach from Saudi Arabia. The “Gazzetta dello Sport” wrote that Mancini could follow Hervé Renard as national coach there, who had taken over France’s footballers after the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar.
Italy’s FA were reportedly caught off guard by Mancini’s decision ahead of key EURO qualifiers in September. According to the association, it wants to name a successor for the former Italian national player in the next few days. Mancini had led Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 and thus celebrated the greatest success with the Azzurri since the 2006 world championship title.
Under Mancini, Italy also missed out on participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but most recently reached the final tournament of the Nations League, where the Squadra Azzurra finished third in June after losing to Spain in the semifinals. In qualifying for Euro 2024, England are third in their group with three points from two games. The games against North Macedonia and Ukraine are already scheduled for September.
Mancini followed interim coach Luigi di Bagio in 2018, who took over from Gian Piero Ventura after missing the 2018 World Cup. Under the 58-year-old, the Azzurri impressed with passionate football and team spirit at the 2021 European Championship and went unbeaten in 37 games in a row. Most recently, Italy’s ex-goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was appointed head of the national team’s delegation after retiring. He succeeded Mancini confidante Gianluca Vialli, who died of cancer earlier this year.