Italy assembles a dream team! Legendary addition joins Mancini and Ranieri

Italy is bringing together legends for the sake of a new generation.

Details: The Italian Football Federation has officially announced the appointment of Gianfranco Zola as project coordinator for youth development initiatives within the Club Italia structure.

The former striker will work alongside technical coordinator Maurizio Viscidi, focusing on building a unified system for nurturing young Italian talent.

• Also read: Battle of the Europa League underdogs. Prediction for the Dynamo Kyiv vs Qarabag match — 06.08.2026

This means Zola has joined the sweeping overhaul of Italian football. Roberto Mancini recently returned as head coach of the national team, while Claudio Ranieri has become the federation’s technical director and president of Club Italia.

Federation president Giovanni Malagò highlighted Zola’s charisma, professionalism, and years of experience working with young players. Zola himself said he is embracing his new role with enthusiasm, responsibility, and a desire to help develop the next generation of Italian footballers.

It’s worth noting that Zola will also continue to serve as the first vice president of Serie C. Previously, a reform designed to encourage third-division clubs to invest more actively in youth academies was named after him.

Reminder: Legend returns! Claudio Ranieri takes on two key roles in Italian football.