After five years, Roberto Mancini’s time as Italy’s national coach comes to an unexpected end. Media speculate about an interest from Saudi Arabia. The timing is particularly important.
Roberto Mancini has surprisingly resigned as national coach of European soccer champions Italy. The 58-year-old submitted his resignation on Saturday evening after a good five years, the Italian football association FIGC said. Reasons for the step were not initially given.
Italian media reported an offer for the coach from Saudi Arabia. The “Gazzetta dello Sport” wrote that Mancini could follow Hervé Renard as national coach there, who had taken over France’s footballers after the preliminary round at the World Cup in Qatar.
Mancini described his resignation on Instagram as a “personal decision”. He thanked those responsible for the association, his players and the fans. “It was an honor,” he wrote. Italy’s FA were reportedly caught off guard by Mancini’s decision ahead of key EURO qualifiers in September. According to the association, it wants to name a successor in the next few days.
37 games unbeaten in a row
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. He will “always carry the triumph in his heart,” wrote Mancini. Under him, Italy also missed out on participating in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but most recently reached the final tournament of the Nations League, where the Squadra Azzurra finished third in June after a semi-final defeat by Spain.
In qualifying for Euro 2024, Italy are third in their group behind England and Ukraine with three points from two games. The best two teams buy the ticket. 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
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