Italy turn back to Roberto Mancini to end World Cup exile

2 min readJul 28, 2026 10:01 PM IST Mancini, who had 36 caps for Italy in his playing career, previously managed the team between 2018 and 2023, taking over when they failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958 under Gian Piero Ventura. (AP Photo) Roberto Mancini has returned for a second spell as Italy’s manager while Claudio Ranieri will be technical director, the country’s football president told reporters on Tuesday. Mancini replaces Gennaro Gattuso, who left in April after Italy failed to secure qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, an unprecedented third consecutive time that the four-time champions had failed to make it to the marquee tournament. “Mancini is the coach,” said Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giovanni Malago before confirming ?the