Mancini reappointed Italy boss after Pirlo controversy
Roberto Mancini has been reappointed as the manager of the Italian national football team following the resignation of technical director Paolo Maldini and the withdrawal of Andrea Pirlo. This marks Mancini's second stint in the role, as the federation seeks stability after a period of coaching turnover and failure to qualify for recent World Cups.
Why it matters
The appointment is a significant move for Italian football as it attempts to restore its status as a global powerhouse after missing multiple World Cup finals.
Image source, Getty Images Image caption, Roberto Mancini was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2015
Roberto Mancini has been appointed Italy manager for a second time - just a day after Andrea Pirlo ruled himself out of the running for the job and technical director Paolo Maldini resigned.
Gennaro Gattuso left his role as Italy boss in April after the Azzurri failed to qualify for a third successive World Cup.
Pirlo looked set to take over but on Monday pulled out following controversy over his ties to a Russian betting company.
"I believed that the best person to become head coach was Roberto Mancini," said Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Giovanni Malago.
Claudio Ranieri, who led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015-16, will replace Maldini as technical director.
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