Serie A clubs preferred Antonio Conte for Italy job, says league president

Ezio Maria Simonelli, president of the Italian football league, has revealed that Serie A clubs would have preferred Antonio Conte to be appointed as Italy manager instead of Roberto Mancini, but said the current head coach must now receive their full support.

Mancini’s appointment came after a turbulent period for the national team, during which Paolo Maldini left his position as technical director of the Italian Football Federation just two weeks after taking the role. His departure followed the failure to appoint Andrea Pirlo as Italy manager.

Speaking to the radio programme Anch’io lo Sport, Simonelli said Mancini had been the preferred choice of Giovanni Malago, president of the Italian National Olympic Committee, from the outset.

“Mancini was Malago’s first choice from the beginning, even though all the Serie A clubs did not agree with that,” said Simonelli.

“He is a great manager and has an impressive record. He led us to victory in the European Championship. We must all stand behind him and behind the national team.”

Asked whether Italy’s top-flight clubs would rather have seen Conte take charge, Simonelli replied: “That is correct, and we said so on several occasions, but it was a preference between two great managers.”

He added: “Now that Mancini has been chosen, we must support him so that he can restore the national team to the position it deserves.”

Mancini is preparing to lead Italy again as the national side looks to regain its standing on the international stage. He left the Azzurri in August 2023 to become manager of Saudi Arabia.

The 61-year-old managed Italy from 2018 to 2023, recording 38 wins, 12 draws and eight defeats in 58 matches. During his tenure, Italy won Euro 2020, although the team failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

Mancini subsequently took charge of Saudi Arabia. In 18 matches, he recorded seven victories, six defeats and six draws before leaving the role in October 2024.

He became manager of Al Sadd in November 2025, but parted company with the club last month.

Simonelli also highlighted the difficulties created by the congested football calendar. He said the increasing number of competitions had left too little room for rearranged fixtures or national-team gatherings.

“The problem is the congestion in the fixture schedule, especially with the increase in the number of competitions, and the lack of sufficient space to hold postponed matches or national-team camps,” he said.

Despite the league’s earlier preference for Conte, Simonelli’s comments make clear that Serie A will now back Mancini as he seeks to lead Italy through its next period of international competition.