Serie A chairman admits Italy chose Conte, yet Mancini gets the job

The Serie A chairman Ezio Simonelli said today that the league’s clubs preferred Antonio Conte, but the Italian football federation appointed Roberto Mancini as national team coach on Tuesday, ending a week‑long saga.

Simonelli made clear that, had the decision been his alone, Conte would have taken the job instead of Mancini. He told La dello Sport that the Serie A clubs “preferred Conte” and that they respect the federation’s final choice.

Giovanni Malagò, president of the Italian football federation, explained that Andrea Pirlo was ruled out because of his links to a Russian gambling company. With Pirlo no longer an option, the federation turned to Mancini, the 61‑year‑old Italian, who ultimately received the nod over Conte.

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Malagò said the appointment was made after consulting former players Paolo Maldini and Leonardo, adding that practical reasons led him to abandon other possibilities. He described Mancini as “a trainer whose past speaks for itself” and noted that some still view the current reality differently from the past.

Simonelli reiterated that the Serie A clubs had confidence in the federation’s decision‑making, despite their initial preference for Conte. He wished both Mancini and fellow coach Claudio Ranieri “much success” and called for responsibility, unity and good cooperation moving forward.

Cesc Fàbregas, the manager of Como, praised Mancini, recalling his time at Inter and a failed attempt to bring him to Manchester City. He called Mancini “honest, demanding and intelligent – a winner” and said he now feels like an Italian, part of Italian football.

Tuesday therefore marked the conclusion of the “soap” surrounding the Italian national team coaching job, with Mancini emerging as the chosen candidate after a turbulent week of speculation.