Rome: Former Manchester City and Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini has been given the job of reviving the fortunes of Italian national team six months after their shock failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia. Italy have been without a permanent coach since Gian Piero Ventura was sacked after the four-time world champions failed to qualify for the mega event for the first time since 1958.
The 53-year-old Mancini terminated his three-year official contract with Zenit Saint Petersburg with mutual consent and immediately flew to Rome Monday to sign his new two-year deal. “Roberto is the new coach of Italy, it’s done,” Italian FA commissioner Roberto Fabbricini declared after Mancini signed his new deal. “There is satisfaction, also on the part of Mancini – his enthusiasm was decisive in the choice. Roberto had a great desire to sit on the Azzurri bench, he proved that in a concrete way.”
Mancini’s contract is reportedly worth two million euros ($2.3 million) a year and will lead Italy to Euro 2020 with the option to extend until June 2022 before the World Cup in Qatar and will lead Italy for the first time against Saudi Arabia May 28 in Switzerland.
However, Mancini’s first squad will be eagerly awaited and is expected to see the return of Nice forward Mario Balotelli, who he coached at Inter Milan and Manchester City. Balotelli has not played for Italy since the 2014 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Mancini has a solid track record as a title-winner. He led Manchester City to their first EPL title in 44 years in 2012, and won three Serie A titles with Inter Milan. He also won Italian Cups with Inter, Fiorentina and Lazio. Since leaving England in 2013, Mancini also managed Galatasaray, who he lead to a Turkish Cup title, and Inter Milan before joining Zenit in June 2017.
During his 10-year international player Mancini was never became a regular in the Italian national side and has won 36 caps scoring only four goals. He was in the Italian squad that reached the semifinals of Euro 1988, and was in the squad that finished third in the 1990 World Cup on home soil.
