Mancini is on the verge of returning to Italy

Come closer Roberto Mancini, coach of Al-Sadd in QatarAfter returning to take over as Italy coach, following positive interactions between the former Azzurri coach and the Italian Football Federation over the past 48 hours.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano confirmed via Italian outlet Tutto Mercato Web that Mancini has been open to a return for several weeks and is now understood to be awaiting the final green light from the federation to begin his second training session with the Azzurri.

Mancini, who won the 2006 World Cup as a player, previously led Italy to the European Cup of Nations title in 2021 before his controversial resignation to take over as coach of Saudi Arabia in 2023, a decision that divided opinion and left Italian fans grief-stricken.

In a related context, Antonio Conte is still in the running for nominations to take over, but Mancini is currently seen as the clear and most likely candidate.

Fans and the Italian federation are considering the team’s third consecutive absence from the World Cup finals, and so the federation’s priority is focused on long-term rebuilding rather than short-term temporary solutions, making Mancini’s experience and deep knowledge of Italian football an attractive option.

The 2028 European Cup of Nations and the 2030 World Cup, jointly hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, are the two main goals of the future coach of the Italian national team.