Roberto Mancini, in office since May 2018 and winner with the Nazionale of the Euro in 2021, has resigned as coach of the Italy team, announced on Sunday August 13 the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). “The FIGC has taken note of the resignation of Roberto Mancini from his position as coach received on Saturday evening”she announced in a press release, without giving the reasons for this decision.
“Due to the important appointments for the selection with the qualifying matches for Euro 2024 against North Macedonia and Ukraine on September 10 and 12, the FIGC will announce the name of the new coach of the Nazionale in the next few days. days “, added the federation. As soon as the announcement of Mancini’s resignation, the Italian press mentioned the name of Luciano Spalletti as his successor, who led Naples to the title of Italian champion last season, before leaving his post.
Antonio Conte has also been without a club since his dismissal at Tottenham last March. He already managed Italy between 2014 and 2016, failing in the quarter-finals of Euro 2016, before leaving his post to coach Chelsea. Another name mentioned to take over the Nazionale, that of Fabio Cannavaro, 2006 world champion, with a coaching career until then without great brilliance in China, Saudi Arabia and, recently, in Benevento, in the Italian third division.
A big surprise
Mancini’s resignation is in any case a big surprise, without any warning sign. At the beginning of the month, the FIGC had acceded to one of its requests by entrusting it with the supervision, in addition to the Nazionale, of the Italian selections of the under 20s and 21s.
Should we then look for the reason for his departure in the recent movements in the management of the Nazionale with the arrival of former renowned internationals, such as Andrea Barzagli, to whom the defensive sector of the Nazionale was entrusted, or Gianluigi Buffon? , just retired and appointed head of delegation?
Only Mancini, 58, and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina, who tried to get him to reverse his decision on Saturday evening, know this for the moment. In the meantime, a contrasting page in the history of the Nazionale is turning.
Mancini will remain as the one who offered Italy its second European title, fifty-three years after the first, by beating England in the final of the Euro in 2021 at Wembley (1-1 after extra time, 3 tabs to 2). But the term of the former international, who also coached Lazio, Manchester City, Galatasaray and Inter, was marked by an equally resounding failure: the reigning European champions were not in Qatar for the World Cup 2022 because of a disastrous end to the campaign (draw against Switzerland at home and in Northern Ireland, defeat at home against North Macedonia in the play-offs).
It is up to Mancini’s successor, who will only have a few days to prepare for the matches in early September, to put the Nazionale back on track for Euro 2024 in Germany.