Italy coach surprisingly resigned on Sunday, ending an up-and-down tenure with the national team that included a European Championship title in 2021 but also a failed qualification for last year’s World Cup.
The Italian football federation issued a short announcement saying that Mancini, 58, communicated his resignation “late last night,” adding that a new coach would be named “over the next days.”
The federation doesn’t have much time with Euro 2024 qualifying matches against North Macedonia and Ukraine scheduled for September 9 and 12, respectively.
Former Italy coach Antonio Conte, who left Tottenham in March, and Luciano Spalletti, who led Napoli to the Serie A title last season and said he wants to take a sabbatical this season, are among those being mentioned as possible replacements.
Only nine days ago, the federation had announced that Mancini was being given the added responsibility of overseeing the under-20 and under-21 teams, too. He was under contract through the 2026 World Cup.
“It’s a bit surprising. Nobody expected it,” Renzo Ulivieri, the president of Italy’s coaches association, told the LaPresse news agency.
“Nothing can be said until the reasons behind the resignation are known. It’s useless to say anything without knowing that. I’m sorry that he’s left. He did a good job despite those last things,” Ulivieri added, referring to the failed World Cup qualification.
Mancini was hired in May 2018 to revive the Azzurri after they also failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup under predecessor Gian Piero Ventura. And he did it by adding flair and youth to a team that won admirers all over the continent during the year-delayed Euro 2020.
Mancini was hailed for his vision when he called up then-Roma forward Nicolò Zaniolo before he had ever played in Serie A, but he also struggled to find top players from the Italian league, which has been hesitant to use young players at times.
It’s unclear what’s next for Mancini, who as club coach won league titles at both Inter Milan and Manchester City.
