Italian Football Federation Seeks Reset: Chiellini as Sporting Director and Mancini as Head Coach in Talks

Mancini and Conte in Talks as Head Coaches

In parallel, former national team coaches Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte are once again being discussed as possible new head coaches. The decision on the new head coach is expected within the next two to three days, according to media reports. The federation's executive board intends to address the personnel matter at its meeting on Tuesday.

The coaching and personnel reshuffle follows a series of failed attempts. The pursuit of star coach Pep Guardiola came to nothing, as did that of Carlo Ancelotti, who is currently working in Brazil. The appointment of Andrea Pirlo also failed. The alternative Andrea Pirlo was rejected because of the former World Cup winner's collaboration with a Russian betting provider. Following the failure of their efforts to sign Pirlo, the sporting directors Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, who had only been appointed a good two weeks earlier, resigned.

Dispute Between Sports Minister and Federation Chief

The coaching search is accompanied by a public exchange of blows between Sports Minister Andrea Abodi and federation president Giovanni Malagò. Abodi accused the federation chief of cutting "an unsightly figure". Malagò has come under heavy criticism. Malagò countered that not everyone can judge the mistakes of others. Federation president Giovanni Malagò, who has also only been in office for a good month, is thus under massive pressure just weeks after taking office.

In view of the misery, La Gazzetta dello Sport put it bluntly: "Italien muss neu gegründet werden". The coming days will be crucial to whether the federation can indeed make a clean break with the dual leadership of Chiellini as sporting director and Mancini as head coach. Mancini knows the squad and the structures from the successful period until 2023; Chiellini, as a former player and current manager at Juventus Turin, brings both footballing and economic expertise.

Decision Expected on Tuesday

With Mancini's planned return, the federation would simultaneously draw a line under the recent period of uncertainty. Mancini had already been built up as a successful coach after the 2021 title win before he left the post in the summer of 2023 under controversial circumstances. With Conte, another high-profile coach is available who has previously managed the national team and is regarded as a consistently tactical worker.

The coming days are considered decisive. Should the federation's executive board give the green light on Tuesday, the path would be cleared for the formal appointment of Chiellini and the selection of the head coach. Observers interpret the sought-after solution with the two long-time companions from the 2021 European Championship triumph as a signal of continuity after a phase in which Italy appears severely weakened both sportingly and organizationally.

It remains open how the federation intends to resolve the conflict with the sports minister. Despite the broad criticism of the federation's leadership, Malagò sees it as his duty to calm the already tense situation in Italian football. The presidential election in April had already exposed the rifts; now the sporting leadership is to provide new stability.