Roberto Mancini offered a heartfelt apology in his first public remarks Wednesday after returning as Italy coach, admitting he regretted walking away from the national team three years ago for a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia.
"I'm very sorry," Mancini said. "It was like losing the woman of your life. It means you did something that should never have been done. I'm sorry, truly sorry, for everything that happened over these last three years. Now I'll do everything I can to bring the national team back where it belongs."
Italy are in turmoil after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup for a third consecutive time. The latest setback, a playoff defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in April, led to the resignations of federation president Gabriele Gravina and coach Gennaro Gattuso.
The 61-year-old guided Italy to the European Championship title in 2021 before unexpectedly resigning in August 2023. Just two weeks later, he accepted a lucrative contract to become Saudi Arabia's national team coach, a decision he now says he deeply regrets.
"It was completely my fault," Mancini said, referring to a lack of communication with Gravina.
