CT Italia, Mancini’s son: “He’ll clean up his image.” The fury of the Serie A clubs: “The National Team of Northern Rome”
Andrea Mancini, son of the new head coach Roberto Mancini, spoke in an interview with *Corriere della Sera* about his father’s return to lead the Italian national team following his controversial departure three years ago and his stint in Saudi Arabia. “He really hoped for this. His return seemed impossible. But that’s how life is—unpredictable and always full of surprises. And that’s what makes it beautiful. He’s coming in highly motivated. He’s determined to erase the disappointment of those three failed qualifiers. And there’s another factor: he wants to restore his reputation following his departure from Italy.”
Cesena’s current sporting director also commented on Claudio Ranieri’s arrival as technical director: “His career speaks for itself. And, above all, he’s a person of profound human depth. I believe he and my father can help each other. They’re a winning duo. We need to go back to investing in youth academies and nurturing talent; young Italians must be placed at the center of the system.”
The dream is to win the World Cup again: “He’s always had this idea; he’s always told us so. He wanted to come back to bring that joy to Italy. When he said that during the European Championship, people called him crazy. Then it happened. It’s true, it’s premature to talk about it. But it’s right to think about it, because sometimes dreams come true.”
Mancini will first and foremost have to overcome the skepticism of the Serie A club presidents, who had identified Antonio Conte as the ideal figure to lead the team’s revival. “The National Team, Rome North branch, is born,” is the joke that’s been circulating among soccer executives on the sidelines of the Federal Council meeting. “A choice made in the name of cronyism, padel, and indoor soccer,” people said, referring to the friendship between FIGC President Giovanni Malagò and the new head coach. Many Serie A presidents reportedly expressed very harsh criticism and did not rule out a future vote of no confidence against Malagò should the situation deteriorate.
