After a three-year absence, Mancini returns! Officially appointed as Italy's head coach, having led them to Euro glory and a 37-match unbeaten streak.

On the evening of July 28, Beijing time, Italy's football governing body made it official: 61-year-old Roberto Mancini is back as the head coach of the Azzurri, ending a three-year hiatus.

Born on November 27, 1964, Mancini has coached elite European clubs such as Inter Milan and Manchester City over his career.

Mancini first took over the Italian national team in May 2018, recording 39 wins, 13 draws, and 9 losses in 61 matches. He led the squad to win the Euro 2020 championship (held in 2021), but failed to secure a spot in the 2022 World Cup.

During his initial tenure with Italy, Mancini's team went 37 matches without defeat, an impressive streak that was eventually broken by Spain when they won the World Cup final this year.

In August 2023, Mancini stepped down. He then accepted a tax-free annual salary of 25 million euros to coach the Saudi Arabian national team, but was dismissed after just one year.

In November 2025, Mancini became the head coach of Qatari club Al Sadd with an annual salary of 11 million euros. On the 14th of last month, Al Sadd announced his departure, and just one month later, Mancini returned to the Italian national team bench.

Beyond Italy, several top European teams have recently appointed new managers for the upcoming World Cup cycle. Jurgen Klopp has become the German national team head coach, Zinedine Zidane has replaced Didier Deschamps as France's coach, and veteran local tactician Jorge Jesus has taken charge of Portugal.