Malagò hints at potential 'surprise' Italy national team manager appointment
Quick summary
CONI president Giovanni Malagò has fueled speculation about a surprise candidate for the Italy national team head coach role, mentioning Roberto Mancini in the context of a five-a-side football gathering.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceFIGC President Giovanni Malagò has been spotted playing five-a-side with Roberto Mancini, who remains in the running for the Italy national team head coach role, but the head of the Italian FA still wants to appoint a technical director first, and claims that there could be a âsurpriseâ candidate on the cards.
Malago plays five-a-side with Mancini and comments on Italyâs potential technical director It is set to be a crucial few days for the future of the Italy national team set-up . Malagò has claimed that âthis is the week for the technical directorâ and has promised that there will be developments over the weekend.
Italy are still without a head coach or a technical director following the departure of Gennaro Gattuso earlier this year. Delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon followed him and former FIGC President Gabriele Gravina out the door immediately after the World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
ROME, ITALY â JUNE 19: Gianluigi Buffon, Italy new head coach Gennaro Gattuso and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina pose during the press conference at Hotel Parco dei Principi on June 19, 2025 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Paolo Bruno/Getty Images) Mancini and Antonio Conte are the two frontrunners to replace Gattuso as head coach of the Italy national team and Paolo Maldini has been widely linked with the offer to take over as technical director.
Maldini has not yet come to a definitive decision, but Malagò insists that it is only a matter of time before an appointment is made. He claims that there could still be a âsurpriseâ option on the cards, though.
âThis is the week for the technical director, I wonât change my stance on that. Itâs Thursday and I hope to calm the nerves over the weekend, Iâm working hard. There could also be a surprise,â said Malagò (via TMW ).
Meanwhile, as per La Repubblica , Malagò has been out playing five-a-side football with Mancini at the Coppa dei Canottieri tournament, an event that Malagò claims to have taken part in for the last 50 years.
FIGC President Giovanni Malago (left) with coach Roberto Mancini (right): @coppa_canottieri via Instagram. Curiously, Malagò was on a team with Mancini, although this does not mean that he is the nailed-on favourite, as the Lega Serie A is said to prefer the idea of appointing Conte as Italy head coach.
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What happened
Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) president Giovanni Malagò has hinted that the FIGC could consider a 'surprise' candidate to take over as Italy national team manager. Speaking after a five-a-side match with Roberto Mancini, who left the Azzurri post in 2023 to take charge of Saudi Arabia, Malagò's comments have been interpreted as a tease about a possible return or an unexpected new appointment. The Italy job has been vacant since Luciano Spalletti's departure, with the federation weighing options ahead of upcoming fixtures.
Chance analysis
Malagò's remarks are politically significant because CONI holds influence over Italian football governance, and even informal comments from its president can shape the narrative around the Azzurri coaching search. The mention of Mancini keeps alive speculation of a dramatic return, while the 'surprise' language suggests FIGC may be weighing unconventional candidates. For prediction systems, this indicates continued uncertainty around Italy's dugout, which affects tactical preparation and team morale ahead of competitive fixtures.
Continued coaching uncertainty for Italy; potential surprise appointment could disrupt squad planning and tactical identity for upcoming international matches.
Italy's head coach situation remains unresolved with potential for an unexpected appointment; factor in coaching uncertainty when modeling Azzurri match outcomes.