Italian Serie A League President Itazio Maria Simonelli revealed that the league had preferred to appoint Antonio Conte as the manager of the Italian national team instead of Roberto Mancini, but he emphasized the need to support the current national team manager.
Mancini's appointment as Italy's manager came after a turbulent period marked by Paolo Maldini's departure from his position as the federation's technical director just two weeks after taking on the role, following the failed appointment of Andrea Pirlo as the national team manager.
Simonelli said in an interview with the radio station Anch’io lo Sport: "Mancini was Malago's first choice from the beginning, even though all the Serie A clubs were not in agreement with that."
He added, "He is a great manager with an impressive record, and he led us to victory in the European Championship. We must all stand behind him and behind the national team."
When asked whether the Serie A clubs preferred to appoint Conte, he replied: "That is true, and we said so on several occasions, but it was a preference between two great managers."
He continued, "Now that Mancini has been chosen, we must support him so that he can restore the national team to the status it deserves."
Simonelli concluded his remarks by stating, "The problem lies in the crowded match schedule, especially with the increase in the number of tournaments, and the lack of sufficient space to hold postponed matches or national team gatherings."
Mancini is preparing to lead Italy in the coming period, amid hopes that the national team will regain its standing on the international stage.
Mancini is returning to manage the Azzurri, a team he left in August 2023 to manage the Saudi Arabian national team.
Mancini managed the Italian national team from 2018 to 2023, achieving 38 wins, 12 draws, and 8 losses in 58 matches.
Under his leadership, the Italian national team won the Euro 2020 title but failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup finals.
The 61-year-old then took over the management of the Saudi Arabian national team, where he recorded 7 wins, 6 losses, and 6 draws in 18 matches before leaving in October 2024.
Mancini took charge of Al Sadd in November 2025, before parting ways with the club last month.
