Roberto Mancini takes charge of the Italian national team for the second time.

On Tuesday, Italian Football Federation President Giovanni Malago officially announced that Roberto Mancini would return to the Italian national team as head coach, while 74-year-old legendary coach Claudio Ranieri was appointed as technical director.

Following Italy's disappointing failure to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, former coach Gennaro Gattuso resigned in April. After Pep Guardiola, the Italian Football Federation's first choice, declined the offer, and Andrea Pirlo was unable to take up the post due to unforeseen circumstances, the federation ultimately decided to reinstate Roberto Mancini.

Former technical director Paolo Maldini and his advisor Leonardo resigned on Monday, and their positions have been taken over by Claudio Ranieri, who led Leicester City to a Premier League miracle. Ranieri will oversee the technical operations and youth development of national teams at all levels.

Mancini first managed the Italian national team from 2018 to 2023, leading them to victory over England in the 2020 European Championship final at Wembley Stadium. However, their subsequent failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup ended his managerial debut with disappointment. At the club level, he led Manchester City to their first-ever Premier League title, possessing a wealth of managerial experience.

Regarding the personnel changes, Italian Football Federation President Malago stated, "Mancini is the best candidate for head coach. At the same time, we also need an experienced leader like Ranieri to make decisions together and establish a completely new structure for Italian football."

Image source: Internet/BBC official website