Italy appoints Mancini as national team coach for 2nd stint: ANSA

Roberto Mancini will return as the coach of Italy's national football team for a second spell, Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) President Giovanni Malago told a meeting of the federation's council on Tuesday, according to ANSA.

The Italian news agency said Mancini, currently a free agent after a spell with Qatar's Al-Sadd, will succeed amid turmoil within the federation following the collapse of Andrea Pirlo's expected appointment.

The former Sampdoria and Lazio forward also coached Turkish club Galatasaray during the 2013-14 season before returning to international management.

Mancini previously guided Italy to the UEFA Euro 2020 title but also oversaw the team's failure to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup before leaving the national side in 2023 to take charge of Saudi Arabia.

Pirlo, a member of Italy's 2006 World Cup-winning squad, had emerged as the leading candidate after Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola declined the role last week.

However, his appointment was reportedly blocked following controversy over his sponsorship of Russian betting company Fonbet, triggering a crisis within the federation.

According to ANSA, FIGC Technical Director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo resigned less than three weeks after taking up their roles over the decision.

The report added that former Leicester City and AS Roma manager Claudio Ranieri is expected to become the federation's new technical director.