Italy national team: What to expect from the Mancini-Ranieri duo?

The decision to appoint Claudio Ranieri as Technical Director and Roberto Mancini as head coach of the Italian national team indicates that the FIGC is reverting to a traditional approach, even though a thorough reform is desperately needed.

The failure to lure Pep Guardiola, the incredible incident with Andrea Pirlo, followed by Paolo Maldini's resignation in frustration, marked the immediate collapse of a long-term, ambitious plan by prominent figures expected to be "reformers."

Not rebuilding, just starting over.

That was the almost immediate view of veteran coach Fabio Capello after news of the Ranieri and Mancini appointments. According to him, this is no different from previous choices, just a repetition of the model that has left Italian football without a way out for years. The Italy national team does not need a quick fix, but stability, continuity, and a long-term vision. In other words, the arrival of the Ranieri-Mancini duo is like a player substitution in a match, not a complete overhaul of tactics or mindset to change the game.

It is too early to say that Ranieri will not boldly revolutionize the youth system like Maldini with his 8-10 year plan, or that Mancini is not ready to create a completely transformed Italy with the possession football that Pirlo promised to bring. They are experienced and know what Italian football needs and what must be done. However, Mancini was not part of the reconstruction plan of the Maldini-Leonardo duo, and Ranieri had to resign in his first season working in Roma's management. Above all, the fact that they were appointed hastily and almost at the personal discretion of FIGC President Giovanni Malago raises serious doubts: This may be just an impulsive decision from the top, while what Italian football needs is a genuinely serious reform project.

The fact that a bold but risky plan built by Maldini's team over several weeks turned into an "old" version in just a few hours once again exposes the chronic disease of Italian football: lack of courage to "erase and start over," unwillingness to chart a new path, and inability to defend a position when the first obstacle appears. Essentially, the change at the top of FIGC has not brought the transformation that fans and the football community had hoped for.

What to expect from the Mancini-Ranieri duo?

Although Mancini and Ranieri were not in FIGC's initial plans and not fully supported by public opinion, it must be admitted that they are not bad choices at all. In fact, their experience, reputation, and professional competence have been proven over many years and appear superior to the Maldini-Pirlo pair.

Ranieri did not earn the nickname "The Tinkerer" by chance. Throughout his nearly four-decade coaching career, he has never been considered a tactical revolutionary, but he is an undisputed expert at fixing broken teams, mending cracks, instilling collective thinking, and achieving success. He led Leicester City to the Premier League title in 2015-16, creating an unprecedented miracle. At age 73, he helped Roma rise from 11th in Serie A, 15 points away from a Champions League spot, to just outside the top four in half a season. However, as Technical Director of FIGC, Ranieri is not the one directly "holding the welding torch." He will formulate strategy and oversee development projects from the ground up, which may not suit a mind accustomed to old ways.

Mancini as well. Since Marcello Lippi's World Cup 2006 triumph, Mancini has been the most successful coach to sit on the Azzurri bench, winning EURO 2020 and setting a record 37-match unbeaten streak, only recently broken by new world champions Spain. Italy at EURO 2020 was also considered one of the most watchable versions in the history of the Azzurri. But people have not forgotten that Mancini suddenly left the bench to coach Saudi Arabia in August 2023, reportedly for financial reasons (which also ended unsuccessfully). When the captain jumps off a rocking ship, his return clearly does not carry the same meaning. Doubt is inevitable. Only time will tell whether the "crazy" decisions of the past few days are right or wrong. Now is the time for Italians to show patience, understanding, and support for those at the helm. Haste, criticism, and questioning will only cause the return efforts of Italian football to continue in deadlock.