Roberto Mancini apologised during his first public appearance since returning as Italy’s head coach, three years after leaving the position to accept a highly paid role with Saudi Arabia.
“I deeply regret it,” Mancini said. “It felt like losing the love of your life, and that tells you that you made a serious mistake. I am truly sorry for my decision and for everything that has happened during the past three years … I will do everything I can to restore the national team to where it should be.”
Italy missed out on World Cup qualification for the third consecutive tournament, leading federation president Gabriele Gravina and head coach Gennaro Gattuso to step down in April, soon after the playoff loss against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The 61-year-old Mancini guided the Azzurri to the European Championship trophy in 2021, but left his post in August 2023 before becoming Saudi Arabia’s national team coach two weeks later. Referring to his failure to communicate properly with Gravina, Mancini admitted: “The responsibility was entirely mine.”
Mancini’s first fixture since returning will be a Nations League meeting with Belgium at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on 25 September. Asked how supporters might respond, he said: “I understand that some fans will oppose my return. I hope the team performs well enough to earn their forgiveness.”
Mancini emerged as Italy’s fourth choice for the role after Carlo Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola rejected the opportunity, while Andrea Pirlo was removed from consideration because of political concerns surrounding a sponsorship agreement with a Russian gambling company.
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