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Roberto Mancini is off to a good start in his return to the Italy bench, as the Azzurri sit in second place after four Nations League matches.

Mancini Maintains Trend of Rejuvenating Italy Roster

October 7, 2026 Enrico Passarella Iran, Serie A, The Azzurri Leave a comment

Roberto Mancini is off to a pretty good start in his return to the Italy bench, as the Azzurri righted the ship and sit in second place after four Nations League matches despite the initial slip-up against Belgium. The gaffer introduced a few talents in his previous spell and continues to do so at a breakneck pace.

Roberto Mancini has pre-selected more than 70 players for his first squad since returning to the Italy bench and is whittling the list down to roughly 30 names.

Mancini Set to Call Up Several Italy First-Timers

September 18, 2026 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Italy, Serie A, Serie A 2026-2027, The Azzurri Leave a comment

Roberto Mancini has pre-selected more than 70 players for his first squad since returning to the Italy bench and is whittling the list down to roughly 30 names. A few youngsters who wouldn’t be regulars will stay in the U-21 ahead of the Euro.

The FIGC ended the overly laborious process to find the new Italy coach with Roberto Mancini, who was an early frontrunner.

Italy Going Back to Mancini Following More Turmoil

July 28, 2026 Enrico Passarella FIGC, Italy, Serie A, The Azzurri

The FIGC ended the overly laborious process to find the new Italy coach with Roberto Mancini, who was an early frontrunner due to his ties with president Giovanni Malagò. Instead, Paolo Maldini and Leonardo lasted only 16 days.

Giovanni Malagò won the FIGC election in a landslide as expected, and he's in talks with Paolo Maldini and Antonio Conte to guide Italy.

New FIGC President Negotiating with Maldini and Conte

June 25, 2026 Enrico Passarella FIGC, Italian Football, Italy, The Azzurri

As expected, Giovanni Malagò won the FIGC election in a landslide, garnering nearly 70 percent of the votes, and his next mission will be to appoint a new director and a new Italy coach, in that order, with Paolo Maldini and Antonio Conte as the current favorites.

With Massimiliano Allegri headed to Napoli, Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini are the two frontrunners to guide Italy.

Four Decorated Coaches in Contention for Italy Job

June 1, 2026 Enrico Passarella FIGC, Italy, The Azzurri

With the Serie A coaching carousel getting completed and Massimiliano Allegri headed to Napoli, Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini are the two frontrunners to guide Italy. Pep Guardiola lingers as a pipe dream, and Claudio Ranieri is a distant fallback.

The candidates for the FIGC presidency agree that the next Italy coach will have to be a major name, and Pep Guardiola has a lot of fans.

Guardiola Reportedly a Dream Target for Italy Opening

May 1, 2026 Enrico Passarella FIGC, Italy, Manchester City, Premier League, Serie A, The Azzurri

The FIGC, the Italian Football Association, is in the midst of its election process, but the candidates agree that the next Italy coach will have to be a major name, and Pep Guardiola has a lot of fans. He'll soon decide about his future at Manchester City.

The recent results by Milan are raising further questions about the future of Massimiliano Allegri and Italy could offer him an escape route.

Milan Gaffer Allegri Lingering as a Candidate for Italy

April 16, 2026 Enrico Passarella AC Milan, Atalanta, Bologna, Calciomercato, FIGC, Italian Football, Italy, Napoli, Serie A, Serie A 2025-2026, Serie A 2026-2027, The Azzurri, Transfer Market

The recent results by Milan are raising further questions about the future of Massimiliano Allegri. The Rossoneri saw their lead over Juventus, Como, and Roma significantly shrink as of late. The ownership could wipe the slate clean should they miss out on a top-four finish.

The coaching carousel is in full swing, but two important pieces of the puzzle have yet to fit, as Napoli and Milan haven’t decided.

Gattuso Departs Italy, Prospective Successors Pile Up

April 3, 2026 Enrico Passarella FIGC, Italy, Serie A 2026-2027, The Azzurri

The purge at the top continues following another Italy World Cup debacle, as Gianluigi Buffon resigned shortly after federal president Gabriele Gravina, while Gennaro Gattuso agreed to a mutual parting of the ways a day later.

Roberto Mancini missed out on all three openings in the recent Serie A carousel and ended his hiatus by heading back to the Middle East.

Mancini Returns to the Bench in the Persian Gulf

November 13, 2025 Enrico Passarella Atalanta, Fiorentina, Italy, Nottingham Forest, Premier League, Serie A, Serie A 2025-2026, The Azzurri

Roberto Mancini missed out on all three openings in the recent Serie A carousel and ended his hiatus by heading back to the Middle East, but not to Saudi Arabia. He’s been hired by Qatari side Al Sadd. the veteran had his sights set on Juventus, which had two coaching changes.

Milan have been offered Matias Soulé and are contemplating Ethan Nwaneri, but the delays the exit of Rafael Leao is a problem.

Soulé Ends Italy Buzz by Committing to Argentina Again

October 16, 2025 Enrico Passarella Argentina, Italian Football, Italy, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2025-2026, The Azzurri

Matias Soulé clarified in an interview that he’s not abandoning Argentina, despite the lack of consideration, to switch to Italy, ceasing the chatter sparked by some declarations by his agent. He also discussed his Roma future as well: "Nothing has changed."

Italy will finish at worst in second place in their group, ensuring participation in the playoff bracket, after defeating

Italy Clinch Qualification to the World Cup Playoffs

October 15, 2025 Enrico Passarella Italian Football, Italy, Serie A, Serie A 2025-2026, World Cup

Italy will finish at worst in second place in their group, ensuring participation in the playoff bracket, after defeating the only opponents that could have potentially overtaken them, Israel, with a two-nil result thanks to a brace by Mateo Retegui on Tuesday.

Matias Soulé has carried the Roma attack in the early going, but he has yet to become a regular for Argentina and has the Italian passport.

Roma Star Considering Switching Allegiance to Italy

October 8, 2025 Enrico Passarella Argentina, Italian Football, Italy, Roma, Serie A, Serie A 2025-2026, The Azzurri

Matias Soulé has carried the Roma attack in the early going amid their strikers’ struggles and Paulo Dybala’s injury woes. However, his sound performances in the last few months haven’t resulted in a role for Argentina. The winger is considering giving in to Italy’s courtship.

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