After Pirlo's appointment fell through: This is Italy's next coach

Roberto Mancini will be appointed as the coach of the Italian national team for a second term, after Andrea Pirlo's appointment was blocked due to opposition from the federation president over a commercial sponsorship with a Russian betting company. Technical director Paolo Maldini resigned in protest over the cancellation of the appointment.

Roberto Mancini will be appointed as the coach of the Italian national team, returning for a second stint at the helm of the 'Azzurri'. The appointment comes after Andrea Pirlo, who was the leading candidate of technical director Paolo Maldini, was rejected by federation president Giovanni Malago due to a commercial sponsorship that Pirlo signed with the Russian betting company 'Fonbet' while coaching in the UAE. Maldini, furious over the cancellation of the candidacy and the interference of the administrative level in his professional decisions, resigned along with professional advisor Leonardo, just 16 days after taking office. Mancini takes over a team that is in one of the lowest and most chaotic moments in its history, with the goal of rebuilding the system from the ruins.