Roberto Mancini is close to becoming the new Italy head coach, the president of the country's football federation has said.

Gennaro Gattuso left the role in April following Italy's latest failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Andrea Pirlo had been favourite after Pep Guardiola declined the role but the former midfielder announced on Monday he was no longer in contention.

Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport at the FIGC's federal council meeting, president Giovanni Malagò said: "I am speaking with Roberto Mancini about him becoming the new head coach: we are waiting for the signature."

Mancini had a five-year stint as head coach of Italy between 2018 and 2023, winning the European Championship but failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.

He was subsequently in charge of the Saudi Arabia national team and most recently managed Al Sadd in Qatar.

La Gazzetta reports that the FIGC is also looking for a new technical director, with the Pirlo decision leading to the resignation of the newly-appointed Paolo Maldini and his adviser Leonardo.

The decision not to pursue Pirlo came following criticism of his commercial links with a Russian betting company.

His role as a global ambassador for Russian bookmaker Fonbet prompted objections to his potential appointment from some FIGC officials and politicians due to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Pirlo, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, defended his involvement with the company in an Instagram ⁠post, writing: "During my career, first as a football player and now as a coach, I have always carried out my activity in full respect to the laws of the countries I worked in and the contracts I signed.

"To attribute a political meaning to such a collaboration means to attribute convictions that I have never expressed and that do not belong to me."

Giorgio Chiellini has been touted as the front runner to succeed Maldini, although he said on arrival at the meeting that he is happy with his current role at Juventus.

Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49469345/roberto-mancini-tapped-manage-italy-federation-chief