Claudio Ranieri, the 74-year-old who once turned a 5,000-to-1 longshot into the most improbable Premier League title in history, has been appointed as the technical director of the Italian national football team.
Italy’s football federation, the FIGC, has been cycling through leadership following the national team’s failure to qualify for major tournaments, prompting a full-scale restructuring under President Giovanni Malagò.
A revolving door at the top
The technical director seat has been anything but settled. Paolo Maldini was linked to the technical director position on July 11, 2026, but left the role after approximately 16 days due to disagreements about head coach selection, alongside advisor Leonardo.
Ranieri had previously been circling the FIGC’s orbit. In June 2025, he turned down an offer to become the national team’s head coach, choosing instead to stay at AS Roma. He eventually left Roma in April 2026, clearing the path for a return to the national setup in a different capacity. His name surfaced repeatedly between April and June 2026 as a candidate for the technical director position.
