According to media reports in Italy, the main candidates for the new coach of the Italian national team are Roberto Mancini and Antonio Conte, after the Italian national team did not qualify for the 2026 World Cup. The new coach will be primarily responsible for leading the Italian national team to the 2030 World Cup. The Italians have not played at the World Cup for 12 years, and the new coach must bear in mind that his main goal should be qualification for 2030. Italy finished its 2026 World Cup qualifiers second in the group behind Norway and will have to play in the play-offs, where they will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final. After a third consecutive failure to qualify for the World Cup, Gennaro Gattuso resigned as coach, and FIGC president Gabriele Gravina should also step down. The new president of FIGC was elected in the elections that took place on June 22, 2026, Giovanni Malagò, who received almost 69% of the votes from all football circles in Italy. For Malagò, the number one priority is to choose a new coach of the Italian national team, and so far the main candidates are Mancini and Conte, the former coach of Napoli. The Italian media also mentions other candidates for this position, such as Pep Guardiola, but it seems that ultimately the race will be narrowed down to two names: Mancini and Conte. Both men have already led the Italian national team. Mancini won the European Championship with her in 2021, but did not qualify the Italians for the 2022 World Cup, while Conte led the Italians to the quarterfinals of Euro 2016. Malagò is aware that the decision regarding the new coach is one of the first he should make, next to the choice of the technical director, who, according to unofficial information, is to be Paolo Maldini. In his first press conference after being elected president of the FIGC, Malagò said: "If it weren't for the penalty kick, I wouldn't be here. It's unbelievable that Gravina was elected president a year ago, virtually unanimously, and has been unable to push through any of the proposed reforms. Objectively, the situation is completely ossified. I will continue to defend the autonomy of sport, but if we fail to change our ways, then someone will have to put us in a position to change it. This is very "simple." Another important task for Malagò will be to select stadiums for Euro 2032, which Italy will co-organize with Turkey. "EURO 2032 is a challenge within a challenge. I have talked to Ceferino in recent days and received messages from him about Infantino. We have to choose these five stadiums.
