Roberto Mancini returns as Italy coach, apologises for 2023 exit: 'I lost the woman of my life'
At a press conference in Rome, the new CT said a lack of communication with then-FIGC president Gravina drove his sudden departure to Saudi Arabia, and promised to make amends alongside technical director Claudio Ranieri.
A dramatic return and a public apology
Roberto Mancini faced the media as Italy's new head coach on 29 July 2026 and wasted no time addressing the abrupt exit that shook Italian football three years ago. Opening his remarks at FIGC headquarters in Rome, he said he wanted to spare reporters the question they would inevitably ask. He attributed the 2023 break to a failure of dialogue with former FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.
I'll anticipate something about my story from three years ago. Back then, there was a lack of communication between me and President Gravina. If we had spoken one-on-one, everything would have changed. It went the way it did, I'm very sorry.
The emotion of the moment was captured by the metaphor he used to describe the national team shirt.
The national team shirt is a bit like the woman of your life; if you lose it, you've done something wrong.
Mancini said the fault was entirely his and that he had already spoken with Gravina, who knows how he feels.
The 2023 divorce: money and silence
In the summer of 2023, Mancini resigned via certified email from a Greek island and, within days, signed a lucrative contract to coach Saudi Arabia. Italian media at the time reported the deal at around 25 million euros per season, compared with the roughly 4 million he earned from the FIGC. The sudden departure left the Azzurri scrambling. Luciano Spalletti, fresh from winning the Scudetto with Napoli, took over the bench, but Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
On 29 July 2026, Mancini struck a penitent tone without minimising the consequences. "I was wrong to go to Arabia and I'm sorry," he said. "Fate gives me the chance to make amends: it's like losing the woman of your life. I am here to bring Italy back where it deserves." He acknowledged that fans may hold a grudge, adding, "I understand that when these things happen, there can be people against you. I'll try to make the team play so well that the fans will forgive me."
New leadership: Ranieri and Malagò step in
Mancini was presented not alone but flanked by Claudio Ranieri, appointed as technical director, and Giovanni Malagò, the new FIGC president. Malagò opened the conference by underlining the weight of recent failures. "We haven't qualified for three World Cups and we feel the pressure; that is only right," he said.
Ranieri, the veteran manager, offered a gentler mission statement.
I am very happy. I would like to bring love back to the national team's fans. I would like to show children Italy at the World Cup.
Malagò's presence symbolises a federative reboot, while Ranieri brings experience and a bridge to the broader technical project.
On the pitch: rebuilding for the future
Mancini outlined sporting ambitions that go beyond a simple apology. "Irrespective of what happened in 2023, the objective is always to win and to play well. I am convinced the players are there and that they are good, especially the young ones," he said. He cited the 2018 call-up of Nicolò Zaniolo, who had not yet debuted in Serie B, as proof that rapid growth is possible: "After two months he was a different player."
The coach plans unified tactical identity across the youth national teams, from the Under-18 side upward, so that every talented teenager can be accelerated into the senior setup. He said he wants to win one or two major trophies and remain beyond the duration of his contract if possible. Italy's next competitive fixtures will be the first tests of whether remorse can translate into results.
