'An apology is needed!' - Mother of Roberto Mancini slams Italy over coach's exit as former Man City boss reveals 'regret' over leaving

The departure of former Italy boss Luciano Spalletti was confirmed earlier this week, and various potential candidates have already emerged. Mancini coached his country to glory at Euro 2020, so it's not a surprise to see his name crop up again, and one person coming out in support of the former City manager is the 60-year-old's mother.

Several legends of the Italian national team have been mentioned in relation to the managerial vacancy, including Fabio Cannavaro, Gennaro Gattuso, and Daniele De Rossi. With Spalletti's disappointing performance at Euro 2024 highlighting clear gaps in terms of personnel and quality, the next manager to take up the reins will have a tricky task on their hands.

According to Mrs Marianna Puolo, "[Mancini] wins when he gets places, he's certainly not the last to arrive. I don't know what he thinks, they should talk to him." She added: "He is a winner, but if he left the national team he must have had his reasons, perhaps someone was not honest with him."

Whether Mancini is interested in the role himself is unclear, with the former City boss remaining fairly tight-lipped about the vacancy. Asked about how Spalletti and Ranieri's periods in charge ended, he said "these are things that concern other coaches, it doesn't seem right to get involved."