Italy, Roberto Mancini: Cesc Fabregas goes against the grain
Roberto Mancini’s return to the national team’s bench has sparked a wave of mixed reactions: enthusiasm is decidedly muted, while widespread skepticism and fierce criticism abound. Amid this heated climate, one voice has stood out for its tone and content—that of Cesc Fàbregas, who chose to speak out publicly in defense of the national team’s new head coach.
At a press conference on the sidelines of the Como Cup, the Como coach applauded the Italian Football Federation’s final decision: “Mancini is an honest and successful person; he has won many trophies, and his teams play attacking soccer,” he said. “I was a huge fan of the 2021 European champion Italy team, and I’m glad he’s back. We club coaches will certainly help him; I’m not interested in what happened three years ago.”
The reference is to his shocking departure from the national team in the summer of 2023, followed by his move to the Saudi Arabian national team. This is precisely the point that the most critical fans and industry insiders highlight in opposing Mancini’s return. A poll conducted by ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport,’ which garnered over 26,000 votes in just a few hours, showed that 86% of voters were against the Jesi-born coach. And on social media more broadly, there are plenty of comments from those who fear that the new era may already be compromised from the start.
The context, after all, has been turbulent. The FIGC has endured weeks of chaos: Paolo Maldini and Leonardo were turned down by Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola, then set their sights on Andrea Pirlo, only to have their choice blocked by Giovanni Malagò and a series of pressures stemming from the former midfielder’s collaboration with a Russian betting agency as a global ambassador. The result was a double step back by the two executives and the appointment of Mancini, made official by Malagò himself on Tuesday.
The former CONI president’s choice has sparked criticism even among industry insiders. Fabio Capello, interviewed by La Gazzetta, openly criticized the decision-making process, arguing that in order to reject Pirlo, “they went to great lengths to find things against him.” Capello pointed out that other countries, by choosing less high-profile candidates—as in Spain’s case with Luis de la Fuente—have found successful paths. “Bringing Mancini back is a shortcut to going down the same path,” thundered the Bisiaco native.
Amid this whirlwind of opinions, Fabregas thus emerges as a voice of dissent. His support doesn’t change the general perception, but it adds a different element to the narrative: while a large portion of fans view the past with skepticism, there are those who see Mancini’s return as an opportunity, not a risk.
