Roberto Mancini Named Main Candidate for Italy Coach Role
Ivan Zazzaroni has put roberto mancini at the front of the line for Italy’s national team job. The FIGC will elect its next president on 22 June, and that vote will help shape who takes the Azzurri bench.
Mancini Leads the Field
Zazzaroni said the main candidate is the one who embraced Gian Luca Vialli in 2021 after the European triumph and who led Italy to 37 consecutive positive results. In his post on his Instagram profile, he wrote: "Conte, Allegri, ho sentito parlare a vanvera di Guardiola (mamma mia) e di Deschamps: oggi il principale candidato alla panchina della Nazionale è quello che abbracciò Vialli nel 2021 dopo il trionfo europeo e che con gli azzurri ottenne 37 risultati utili consecutivi".
That description points directly to Mancini. It also shuts the door, at least in this telling, on the other names circulating around the post, including Conte, Allegri, Guardiola and Deschamps.
Zazzaroni on August 2023
Zazzaroni went further and framed Mancini’s return as tied to a personal reset after a break in trust. He wrote: "Commise un errore imperdonabile nell'agosto del 2023. L'ha capito ed è pronto a ripartire. Il perdono non cambia il passato, ma allarga il futuro".
That language matters because it pairs a football decision with a judgment about whether Mancini has already addressed the issue that stalled him in August 2023. The public case for him is not just his record with Italy; it is also the idea that he has understood the mistake and is ready to start again.
FIGC Vote on 22 June
The timing of the presidential election makes the picture tighter. Giovanni Malagò and Giancarlo Abete have presented their candidacies for FIGC president, and the winner on 22 June will help set the course for the national team appointment.
For Italy, that leaves the coaching decision linked to the federation’s power structure rather than to rumor alone. Zazzaroni has already drawn the line he wants readers to follow: Mancini first, then the FIGC vote, then the choice that follows from it.
