BREAKING: Roberto Mancini set to be named head coach of the Azzurri with Ranieri as technical director

Roberto Mancini is set to become the next head coach of the Azzurri according to Sky Sport. They are reporting that Giovanni Malago has told everyone during the council meeting with the FIGC. Nico Schira is reporting that Mancini has a contract until 2030 worth 2.5 million per year but these aren’t offical figures.

Schira is also reporting that Massimo Maccarone, Antonio Gagliardi, Leonardo Bonucci and Marco Roccati will all join Mancini as his back-room staff. Bonucci will stay with the Azzurri, after also being a part of Gennerao Gattuso staff which missed out on the last World Cup.

Claudio Ranieri has also be named as the next technical director. Schira is also reporting this, after Raineri has spent the last six months out of work. Ranieri was the technical director of Roma, for a little over half of season, before being fired. This came after a disagreement with Roma manager Gian Piero Gasperini.

Roma coach Gian Piero Gasperini, with Claudio Ranieri, poses with the award of Coach of the mounth prior to the Serie A match between AS Roma and…

Gasperini was pushing to get more ready made players into Roma’s squad. Ranieri disagreed with this as he wanted to prioritise youth players within the squad, and developing talent. A lack of developing talent has been an issue within the FIGC for years, so hopeful someone with Ranieri priorities can help solve the issue.

Paolo Maldini has similar goals to Ranieri when he took the job of technical director. However, he decided to step down after Andrea Pirlo wasn’t hired due to Giovanni Malago. Malago ripped up Pirlo’s deal with the national team because he was a global ambassador for Russian company Fonbet, something that the manager of the Italian national team couldn’t do.

The FIGC and Giovanni Malago had to act quickly to replace them, as his presidency began to look weak. Mancini was an easy hire as Malago had discussed the role with him before hiring Maldini or Pirlo. Ranieri however, wasn’t as obvious as there was very little linking him to the role before he took it today.