Italian Transfer Market: Roberto Mancini Is a Free Agent; Return as Head Coach Looks More Likely
Italian Transfer Market: Roberto Mancini is getting closer and closer to returning to the national team, which he led to victory at the 2021 European Championship but subsequently failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. What had been in the air for weeks became official on Saturday evening: his departure from Qatar, and specifically from Al Sadd, which announced his departure via a video message.
Here, Mancini confirms his departure, a move that increasingly points to his return as Italy’s head coach. “Hello everyone,” said the former and likely future coach of the Azzurri, “this video is meant to say thank you to every Al Sadd fan for all the support they’ve given us this year and the help they’ve provided in climbing the standings and winning the title. I also thank the club and the director, who helped me integrate easily into the club.”
Mancini then mentioned the names of each of his Al Sadd players. “Thank you to all my wonderful players, for what they’ve done both on and off the field. To everyone who works here, the baristas, the doctors—thank you. I will carry you in my heart forever,” concluded the Jesi-born coach. His future could now be decided on June 22, when the new president of the Italian Football Federation is expected to be elected. The clear favorite is Giovanni Malagò, the main backer of his return to the Azzurri.
It’s no secret that Mancini has long harbored a desire to return to the Azzurri bench following his turbulent departure in 2023. This was confirmed in recent months by his closest collaborators: Marco Roccati, goalkeeper coach at Al Sadd, told Radio Sportiva that “the Coach would come back in a heartbeat because, in my opinion, he left something unfinished and he’d like to complete this mission.” His former assistant coach Attilio Lombardo was on the same page, stating bluntly: “He’d love to come back.” These words are now confirmed by the facts, as the Jesi-born coach has chosen to leave Qatar after winning the national title with Al Sadd—the fifteenth trophy of his coaching career—leading the club to its third consecutive championship.
The context surrounding Mancini’s possible return is that of a national team and a federation emerging from a particularly turbulent period. Italy has failed to qualify for the World Cup for the third consecutive time—the tournament currently being played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada—with the playoff elimination triggering a chain of resignations from Gabriele Gravina, Gianluigi Buffon, and Gennaro Gattuso. A debacle that even drew the sarcasm of FIFA President Gianni Infantino, promptly condemned by the FIGC in an official statement: “It was an unfortunate remark, a lapse in judgment that hurt the feelings of the entire Italian sports community. In victory and defeat, soccer teaches values, starting with respect.”
In this scenario, Mancini is not the only name being mentioned for the Azzurri bench. In recent weeks, there has also been persistent talk of Antonio Conte, who left Napoli after winning the Scudetto in 2025, and of Massimiliano Allegri. There had even been a brief mention of Pep Guardiola, though he is also being courted by Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr with a massive financial offer. Presidential candidate Malagò reportedly sounded out the Catalan coach, but the figures demanded by the former Manchester City manager are difficult for the federation’s coffers to sustain. In light of these developments, Mancini’s candidacy now appears to be the most concrete and viable option, especially since the coach has already resolved his contractual issues with Al Sadd, effectively freeing up his professional future ahead of June 22.
