Roberto Mancini was not the preferred candidate for head coach

Germany has its ideal choice in Jürgen Klopp, and France finally has its legend, Zinédine Zidane. And Italy? The search for a new national team coach turned out to be a painful struggle. Roberto Mancini, a familiar face, is now set to take the helm, but he faces strong opposition. Along the way, Italian legend Paolo Maldini was also torn to shreds.

Flashback: On March 31, four-time World Cup champion Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time after losing to Bosnia and Herzegovina—despite the tournament being expanded to 48 teams. On April 3, Gennaro Gattuso resigned, meaning it had been clear for nearly four months that a new head coach was needed. On July 11, Paolo Maldini, the former Milan defender and a highly respected figure, took charge of the search.

Guardiola and Ancelotti didn't want to

Maldini is thinking big. His top choice: multiple World Coach of the Year winner Pep Guardiola, whose tenure at Manchester City came to an end this summer after nine seasons. For three days, Maldini and his advisor Leonardo courted the Spaniard in Barcelona before he turned them down—for personal reasons, as it was reported. Next option: Carlo Ancelotti, who, however, remained firmly committed to Brazil despite the team’s disappointing elimination in the World Cup round of 16.

Earlier this week, it looked as though Andrea Pirlo, the midfield playmaker for the 2006 World Cup-winning team, had been named the new head coach. That is, until a controversy erupted over Pirlo’s role as an ambassador for the Russian betting company Fonbet. A few weeks ago, he also attended an autograph session in Moscow, which caused a stir not only in Italy but elsewhere as well, given Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. On his Instagram account, he complained that he had learned “that I am no longer being considered as a candidate for the coaching position.” Pirlo did not, however, specify from whom he claims to have received this information. He said he was following the entire debate “with great bitterness.”

Maldini Throws Down the Gauntlet

And it has further consequences. Just 16 days after his appointment as sporting director, Maldini has thrown in the towel. According to consistent reports from various Italian media outlets, Federation President Giovanni Malago is said to prefer one of the old guard—Antonio Conte or Roberto Mancini, both of whom have previously led the Azzurri. However, Maldini is said to have rejected this.

On Tuesday afternoon, the executive board of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) will hold a crisis meeting. Giorgio Chiellini, captain of the 2021 European Championship-winning team, was set to become the new sporting director but stated that he wanted to remain with his current employer, Juventus Turin. Now Claudio Ranieri is taking over as sporting director, along with “a third person who will be announced soon,” as Malago revealed.

A Lot of Headwinds for Mancini

Above all, however, Roberto Mancini is now fulfilling the federation president’s wish. However, the 61-year-old is not without his critics. Although he led the “Nazionale” to the 2021 European Championship title—the team’s only success in the last 20 years—he failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after losing the playoff against North Macedonia. But what many hold against him in particular is this: In 2023, amid a precarious situation in the European Championship qualifiers, Mancini left Italy—despite having a contract still in effect—for a lucrative deal—rumored to be worth 25 million euros—in Saudi Arabia.

Before his appointment, the influential *Gazzetta dello Sport* spoke out against Mancini in an editorial. “The issue of morality matters to everyone. He let Italy down.” And it predicted: “Italian soccer will continue to slide into the realm of the grotesque.” So the chaotic search for a new head coach is over, but “calcio” is still far from being back on solid ground and at peace.