After five successful years, Roberto Mancini’s time as Italy’s national coach comes to an unexpected end. The question of the reasons initially remains just as open as that of the successor.
Roberto Mancini has surprisingly resigned as national coach of European soccer champions Italy.
The 58-year-old has handed in his resignation after a good five years, the Italian football association FIGC announced on Sunday. According to the association, it wants to name a successor for the former national player in the next few days. Mancini had led Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 and thus celebrated the greatest success with the Azzurri since the 2006 world championship title.
Association omitted reasons
The association did not give a reason for the surprising resignation of the national coach. Under Mancini, Italy had missed out on participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but most recently reached the final tournament of the Nations League, where the Sqaudra Azzurra finished third in June after a semi-final defeat by Spain. In qualifying for Euro 2024, England are third in their group with three points from two games. The games against North Macedonia and Ukraine are already scheduled for September.
Mancini followed interim coach Luigi di Bagio in 2018, who took over from Gian Piero Ventura after missing the 2018 World Cup. Under the 58-year-old, the Azzurri impressed with passionate football and team spirit at the 2021 European Championship and went unbeaten in 37 games in a row. Most recently, Italy’s ex-goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon was appointed head of the national team’s delegation after retiring. He succeeded Mancini confidante Gianluca Vialli, who died of cancer earlier this year.
Source: Stern
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
