Ciro Immobile appointed as Italy U16 head coach following retirement
Quick summary
Former Italy international Ciro Immobile has officially been handed the U16 national team coaching role after retiring from professional football.
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Attributed to original sourceFormer Italy international Ciro Immobile has taken on his first non-playing role after announcing his retirement over the summer, as the FIGC have confirmed that he will now serve as the head of delegation for the U16 national team.
Official: FIGC appoint Immobile as Italy U16 delegation chief Back in August, the 36-year-old Immobile announced that he had decided to call it a day on his playing career, despite the fact that he still had another year to go on his contract with Ligue 1 side Paris FC.
ROME, ITALY – DECEMBER 05: Ciro Immobile of SS Lazio applauds the fans after the Coppa Italia match between SS Lazio and Genoa at Olimpico Stadium on December 05, 2023 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) Immobile’s playing career ended with 306 goals from 599 competitive appearances at club level plus 17 goals from 57 caps with the Italy national team. He was a EURO 2020 winner under Roberto Mancini in the summer of 2021, was the Serie A top goalscorer in four different seasons and currently sits in eighth place in the division’s list of all-time top goal scorers with 201.
It has taken less than a month for Immobile to transition into a new role following his retirement as a player. The FIGC has confirmed on Thursday that Immobile will now serve as the delegation chief for the Italy U16 side. He will be part of the staff led by head coach Giovanni Costantino.
“The time has come for me to give back to football after everything that it gave me,” Immobile said in a statement on the FIGC website following the confirmation of his appointment.
“Doing it with these young lads is a great opportunity for me to get back into the game and, more importantly, to pass onto them everything that I have learned on and off the pitch. I believe that experience has a massive value, especially when it is made available to those taking their first steps in their national team journeys.
“I thank President Malago for this opportunity. Returning to Coverciano will be a special feeling for me.”
Immobile’s first games with the Italy U16 side will come against Spain in a double-header at Coverciano on Tuesday, September 15 and Thursday, September 17.
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What happened
Ciro Immobile, one of Italy's most recognizable strikers of the past decade, has been officially appointed as the head coach of the Italy U16 national team. The move marks his first major coaching role since retiring from professional football, with the Italian Football Federation entrusting the former Lazio and Borussia Dortmund forward with developing the next generation of Italian talent. Immobile won 57 caps for Italy and was a key figure in the national setup, including winning Euro 2020. The appointment reflects a broader trend of former Azzurri players moving into youth development roles within the federation.
Chance analysis
Immobile's jump straight into a national team coaching role signals significant confidence from the FIGC in his footballing intelligence, despite having no prior senior management experience. His deep understanding of the modern striker's game and experience at top European clubs could prove valuable for young Italian forwards coming through the system. This is part of a wider pattern of the federation leaning on recently retired internationals to shape its youth philosophy, following similar moves for other former Azzurri players in recent years.
Immobile transitions from playing career to U16 coaching, with no immediate effect on senior Italy or club match outcomes.