Liveblog: Italy unveil Mancini and Ranieri as new coach and director | OneFootball

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Join us for all the news as it happens from the presentation press conference of new Italy coach Roberto Mancini and technical director Claudio Ranieri.

It is scheduled to begin in Rome at 17.20 UK time (18.20 CEST).

Their appointment was confirmed on Tuesday by FIGC President Giovanni Malagò following a chaotic 17 days in Italian football.

Paolo Maldini and special advisor Leonardo had been given the Azzurri reins, but after failed attempts to secure Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola, then the block on Andrea Pirlo over Russian gambling advertising, they resigned.

The first task for Mancini in his second stint with Italy is the Nations League game against Belgium on September 25, then visiting Turkiye on September 28.

That is the end of the press conference, thank you for experiencing it with us.

2026-07-29 18:15:36

Ranieri on his Roma advisor role

“Everything is a learning experience. It was an interesting year, which gave me so much that I was not accustomed to, but that is why it was a formative experience.”

2026-07-29 18:15:17

Mancini

“Jude Bellingham had potential when I talked about him, but then he went to play for Real Madrid and rather improved. I can only hope that our talents can be given the same opportunities to develop, but the potential is there.”

2026-07-29 18:14:32

Claudio Ranieri

“As a coach, I spoke to my collaborators, Roberto will speak with his. If he thinks that he needs my advice, I will give him my thoughts. If he doesn’t feel the need, that’s absolutely fine.

“When Roberto won in the Premier League, I went to see his last game at home and was so happy, because being Italian abroad and seeing a fellow Italian triumph there is the best thing.”

Mancini: “Plus Claudio won with my Leicester City! I played for Leicester.”

Ranieri: “Yes, but you weren’t in my team!”

2026-07-29 18:13:13

Mancini

“Our objective is to get the Nazionale winning again, because that’s what matters in football. Problems will pass if we manage to win. I can only hope that more Italians play so that we can have more choices, allow our players to improve quickly and become great players, because they have the quality.”

2026-07-29 18:11:25

Ranieri

On potential change of rules to give Italian passports earlier.

“We need help from everyone, because when we win, we all win together and enjoy it. So we must try to help Roberto to find players who can represent Italy. We need this for our Italianness. We cannot continue like this.”

2026-07-29 18:09:45

Mancini

“We won the Euros, which we hadn’t won for 60 years, so that was a marvellous moment. We were unbeaten in four years and that doesn’t happen by chance.

“We never lost in the group, but were unlucky on two penalties and with one of those going in, we could’ve qualified. You have to think positive and also realise at times things can repeat themselves.”

2026-07-29 18:08:54

Ranieri

“I believe our players have a sense of belonging and responsibility to the Nazionale. I am sure they will have joy, helping each other and being eager to play in Roberto’s style of football. Only those who have been players know how much they suffer when they lose, so there’s no need for them to fall in love with Italy again.”

2026-07-29 18:07:54

Mancini

Mancini was the last Italy coach to call a get-together outside of the usual calendar.

“Any national team coach knows this is a problem, it’s the same all over the world. In those get-togethers, we can only call the players in the Under-21 side, really, or younger. They weren’t playing regularly at that time, so it was just to see them and get them up to speed. I don’t know if we can do it again.”

2026-07-29 18:07:46

Mancini

“Ciro Immobile was a great hitman who scored a lot of goals in Serie A, so we can only hope we have someone who can do the same. I launched Kean a long time ago, he’s capable of playing many roles. I don’t think we’re in a bad way with the strikers at our disposal, including the wingers.”

2026-07-29 18:04:34

Mancini

“The Nations League is important, we’ll be able to test our level straight away. We know it will be a difficult group, but not just for us, for the other teams too.”

2026-07-29 18:02:54

FIGC President Malagò

When asked about UEFA and FIFA’s battle.

“I thought I’d got away with it! Last night, the UEFA secretary general asked me to participate in a video call with the most prestigious leagues in Europe, like Spain, France, Germany and England. That was a show of how much UEFA hold us in consideration.

“I had also received a series of documents on this project, let’s call it that, which is frankly unusual from FIFA. Obviously, during the video conference call, President Ceferin was strongly against it.

“Tomorrow, there will be an assembly, I cannot say if it is formal or not, with all the federations in Europe. I’ve already seen some strong positions, even outside the world of football. There’s no doubt the situation between UEFA and FIFA is one of total conflict. We already knew it was, but this has created an insuperable barrier between the two worlds.

“I really could’ve done without this right now, to be honest. We will release a statement tomorrow with everything that implies. We are in Europe, we are with UEFA, but we’ll see the formal positions.”

2026-07-29 18:02:07

Mancini

“Watching the teams at the World Cup always gives you tactical ideas. We’ll see with the lads, the foundations are there for an attacking approach, and that is the most important thing, being positive and trying to win every game. Even when facing some of the best teams, they don’t think it’s easy playing against Italy either.”

2026-07-29 17:59:19

Ranieri

“It is not possible that our families have to pay so much to be in a football school. Show me all the paperwork and then I’ll see what I can do. I want more kids to play football. I was on the beach yesterday, I saw the kids playing basketball, volleyball, all sorts. We’ve got to get them back playing football.”

2026-07-29 17:57:56

Mancini

“I think the percentage of foreigners and Italians in Serie A is more or less the same now as it was four or five years ago. What we can do is get the younger ones to play with the older players more, so they improve faster. Besides, if strong Italians go to the Premier League and play, that’s a good thing, it raises their level.”

2026-07-29 17:57:00

Malagò

“Claudio was so happy at first, then he called this morning and asked for what precisely his duties and responsibilities were as technical director and President of Club Italia. It was two pages long. I wished him luck.”

2026-07-29 17:55:53

Ranieri

“I was a coach until two years ago, so if Roberto asks me for advice, I will give it, otherwise I will stay in my place and frankly I’ll have plenty to deal with.”

2026-07-29 17:55:03

Mancini

“I remember when we started last time, 90-95 per cent of the journalists considered us the seventh or eighth best team in Europe. If we had 30 wins and seven draws, and Spain only just broke our unbeaten record, it means we did something good.

“If Italy go to the World Cup, we become one of the teams to beat. Even if we are not favourites, we become dangerous in those tournaments. We will try to put together a squad that can qualify for the Euros, after the Nations League, and then think about the World Cup.”

2026-07-29 17:54:57

Giovanni Malagò

“After yesterday’s press conference, Gabriele Gravina called me up and said well done, this is exactly what I would’ve done, choosing Mancini and Ranieri. Last night, Gigio Donnarumma sent me a text that said ‘President, thank you, this is exactly what the squad and I wanted.’”

2026-07-29 17:52:34

Mancini

“Bonucci and Chiellini were very important last time, but Verratti and Jorginho had never played together before, because they were considered too short and lacking in physicality. I think we can find youngsters and help them to grow. If we have good players, we can put them together and get them to play well.”

2026-07-29 17:51:33

Giovanni Malagò

“People said that some of the Italians aren’t at the biggest Serie A clubs, but that might not necessarily be a bad thing. Look at Marco Palestra, who impressed at Cagliari and was owned by Atalanta, but then moved to Chelsea after interest from Inter precisely because he did so well at Cagliari.

“Another consideration listening to Claudio. Some here suggested it was all planned, but I called him for the first time on Monday night. I asked how do you see Roberto Mancini as coach? He said very good!

“Along with his career, I signed the contract standing up leaning on a wall as we were walking from the office. Claudio is a great human being and an important person to have here in this moment in time.”

2026-07-29 17:50:14

Giovanni Malagò on Italian players going abroad

“We talked about many things in the Senate today. Your considerations are logical. My ambition with the Serie A clubs, even if others might not view it the same way, is that we are all working together on this new project. They were the ones who called me in to run for this role.

“With all the infrastructure projects they are involved in, the most direct way of valuing their assets is to develop them out of the academy. Look at Barella or Dimarco, if they don’t go to the World Cup, they are worth less on the market than players who did. I think they understood that.

“We will do what we can on a regulation level, and won’t hold back when it comes to negotiating. It will be complicated getting time for Roberto to have training sessions, so we need some gentleman’s agreements. We need to develop synergy between clubs and the Nazionale.”

2026-07-29 17:47:24

Mancini

“Players count and so do systems, you have to adapt to the players at your disposal, not try to force them into this shape. I do feel when there are youth players, including the Under-18 side, they ought to all have the same system.”

2026-07-29 17:43:31

Ranieri

“My wife when I don’t retire? I won’t make her move for the first time, so at least she’ll be happy!”

2026-07-29 17:43:25

Ranieri on turning down Italy job

“I never regretted something I chose with my heart. I was under contract with Roma, I could not break that bond with the club I love, and it would’ve been a terrible conflict of interest if I had covered both roles. Trust me, I would’ve loved to do it, but it was not possible and I said no with a heavy heart.”

2026-07-29 17:41:41

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