Former Italy manager Roberto Mancini will return for a second spell as national team coach, Italian Football Federation (FIGC) President Giovanni Malago said on Tuesday, while Claudio Ranieri will take over as technical director.
Mancini will replace Gennaro Gattuso, who left the post in April following a World Cup qualifying defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina, the third time in a row the four-times world champions had failed to reach the global showpiece event.
Malago announced the appointment during a Federal Council meeting.
“Mancini is the coach,” he said before confirming the decision at a press conference.
“I believed that the best person to become head coach was Roberto Mancini,” Malago told reporters.
The 61-year-old Mancini guided Italy to the European Championship title in 2021.
He led Italy in 58 matches during his first spell and at club level has managed Inter Milan, Fiorentina and Manchester City, where he spent three years and guided them to their first Premier League title in 2011-12.
Former FIGC technical director Paolo Maldini and adviser Leonardo resigned from their roles on Monday after their primary candidate for the Italy coach’s position, Andrea Pirlo, had his appointment blocked due to his ties to a Russian betting firm.
Former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, who was the FIGC’s first choice to take charge of the national team, turned down the job this month.
Ranieri will take up the role of FIGC technical director, replacing Maldini.
The 74-year-old coach, who famously led Leicester City to a shock English Premier League title in 2016, will oversee technical operations and elite football development across Italy’s national team structures.
“I needed someone with whom I could share the decision on the coach, because without that shared view my reasoning would have carried little weight,” Malago said.
“So consequently, today we have a new coach and a new technical director for Italy.”
The post Soccer-Mancini returns as Italy coach with Ranieri as technical director first appeared on Fastbreak.
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez will continue his playing career in Texas after signing with USL Championship expansion club Atletico Dallas.
The 38-year-old Mexican striker agreed to a two-year contract that includes a club option for a third season. Hernandez becomes the first player signed by Atletico Dallas, which will begin play in 2027 under head coach Peter Luccin.
The agreement is subject to approval from the league and federation.
“I didn’t come here simply to finish my career,” Hernandez said. “I came here to help build the future of football in Dallas.”
Atletico Dallas will play its home matches at the Cotton Bowl while competing in the USL Championship, a second-tier professional soccer league in the United States below MLS.
Hernandez has not played competitively since appearing for Chivas in November 2025. He became a free agent after scoring three goals across all competitions during his final season with the Mexican club.
The move extends a career that has also included stops with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, West Ham United, Sevilla and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
“I’ve been fortunate to live the dreams that every young footballer hopes to experience,” Hernandez said. “I’ve worn some of the biggest shirts in the world and played in incredible stadiums in front of passionate supporters. Opportunities like this, though, are different.”
Hernandez scored 52 goals in 109 appearances for Mexico, making him the national team’s all-time leading scorer. He last played internationally in 2019 and worked as a television analyst during the 2026 World Cup.
His addition gives Atletico Dallas an established name around which to begin building their inaugural roster. Luccin, a former Atletico Madrid midfielder, was appointed as the club’s first coach in February.
Dallas will be the eighth club of Hernandez’s senior career and marks his return to American soccer after playing for the Galaxy from 2020-23.
The post Mexico legend Chicharito to sign with USL’s Dallas franchise first appeared on Fastbreak.
