Italy appoints Mancini as manager after chaotic search

Roberto Mancini has been appointed as the head coach of the Italian national football team, ending a chaotic managerial search that led to the resignation of technical director Paolo Maldini and special advisor Leonardo.

The turmoil began after Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup, losing to Bosnia-Herzegovina in March. Manager Gennaro Gattuso resigned shortly after, followed by FIGC president Gabriele Gravina and former goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who was head of delegation.

New FIGC president Giovanni Malago promised a new era and hired former captain Maldini and Leonardo to overhaul the football system from youth to senior level. Their first task was to find a new manager.

They first approached Pep Guardiola, who declined. Carlo Ancelotti also turned them down, remaining with Brazil. Andrea Pirlo was next, but the FIGC hierarchy ruled him out due to controversy over his promotion of a Russian betting company after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Pirlo expressed "great bitterness" over the scandal.

Following the rejection of Pirlo's candidacy, Maldini and Leonardo resigned. Malago said their departure was "a calm and consensual decision."

Mancini, who previously led Italy to the Euro 2020 title but left after failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup to take a lucrative job with Saudi Arabia, is now back. Claudio Ranieri, aged 74, has been appointed as technical director.

Despite the new appointments, deep-rooted issues persist. An FIGC report found that Serie A has the highest average age among major leagues, only 32.1% of players are eligible for Italy, and the league ranks 49th out of 50 globally for minutes played by under-21 players. Investment in youth development is also poor.