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France, Italy hire native coaches Zidane and Mancini for national teams

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jul 29, 2026, 11:12 PM

Last updated Jul 29, 2026

France, Italy hire native coaches Zidane and Mancini for national teams

Summary

France and Italy have appointed Zinedine Zidane and Roberto Mancini as their men's national soccer team managers, respectively. These appointments were made amid a trend where many countries opt for foreign coaches; in the 2022 World Cup, only nine countries had native managers. France, a recent World Cup winner, contrasts with Italy, which has not reached the World Cup since 2014. Italy previously pursued foreign coach Pep Guardiola but did not succeed. Both countries will now aim to reinvigorate their teams with homegrown leadership.

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By the Numbers

•Zinedine Zidane appointed as France's new head coach.
•Roberto Mancini named Italy's national team manager.
•This hiring trend contrasts with the prevalence of foreign coaches in major tournaments.
•France won the World Cup recently; Italy last qualified in 2014.
•Italy sought Pep Guardiola but was declined.

Latest Updates

11:12 PMYahoo Sports — France, Italy turn to native soccer coaches

What they're saying

"
France and Italy named their new men’s national soccer team managers — a Frenchman and an Italian, leaving them among the few countries that have very rarely employed foreign coaches.
— Yahoo Sports

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