Gianluigi Buffon has spoken about the offer he received to return to the Italy national team set-up under Paolo Maldini, has explained why it is important to have a figure like Claudio Ranieri involved in the Azzurri set-up and has revealed who he would have chosen instead of Roberto Mancini as the next head coach.
The legendary former goalkeeper and former Italy delegation chief spoke all things Nazionale in an in-depth interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, published on Sunday.
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Buffon on Italy, Mancini, Ranieri, Maldini, Pirlo and Guardiola
It has been a hectic few weeks for the Italy national team and its supporters. Maldini was appointed as the new technical director of the FIGC only to resign just over a fortnight later. He has since been replaced by Ranieri, who will be working alongside Mancini as the new head coach.
Buffon has no doubts about Mancini’s qualities as a head coach, but has questioned whether he is the right choice for Italy in the circumstances.
“At the end of the day, Mancini is technically a good choice because he has shown that he has a functional way of playing for this sort of project. If I were PSG, Bayern, Real, Juve, a big team, I would consider him,” said Buffon.
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Many supporters still have an issue with the way that Mancini left the position of head coach of the Italy national team in order to take over as head coach of Saudi Arabia on a lucrative contract back in August 2023.
“That’s still there,” says Buffon. “You’re talking to someone who went down to Serie B and cut their salary by €500,000 with Juve, just for that sense of belonging.”
UDINE, ITALY – OCTOBER 14: Gianluigi Buffon, Head of Delegation of Italy, looks on prior to the FIFA World Cup 2026 qualifier match between Italy and Israel at Stadio Friuli on October 14, 2025 in Udine, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
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La Gazzetta dello Sport asked Buffon whether there is any truth behind the rumours that he had opposed Mancini’s return to the Italy set-up after the departure of Luciano Spalletti as head coach last year.
“I had an important role, but I didn’t have the final say,” Buffon insisted. “At the time, Gattuso was the best available candidate on the market for that role. There wasn’t a lot of time and the play-offs were practically certain. We needed to motivate a team that was a little dejected and to bring them back their enthusiasm and sense of pride.”
Working alongside Mancini in the role of FIGC technical director will be Claudio Ranieri. Dino Zoff has recently questioned what the role of technical director actually entails, but Buffon assures that it is important to have a figure like Ranieri in the job.
“I understand that you might have some doubts from the outside, but right now, it’s important to have a figure like that in a difficult role. Ranieri brings a thousand personal and technical guarantees.”
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Originally, it had been Paolo Maldini appointed to the role of technical director, and prior to his resignation, he had sought to appoint Andrea Pirlo as Italy head coach: A move that was ultimately blocked.
Italy technical director Paolo Maldini, special advisor Leonardo, FIGC President Giovanni Malagò and Lega Serie A President Ezio Simonelli (figc.it)
“I’m happy that Andrea avoided such a turbulent path,” Buffon said when asked about his friend and former teammate. “All this talk about the Russian website was a political attempt, and it was clumsy and unsuccessful to have labeled him as ‘unappointable’.”
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Maldini had also sought to bring Buffon back into the Italy set-up during his brief reign in charge.
“It’s nice to talk to Maldini and Leonardo,” Buffon responded. “They had offered me a role as a director of the national teams, a co-ordinator between the first team and youth sides. Their enthusiasm made me consider it, but I stuck with my plans.
“From 1991 until today, I have never allowed myself more than 20 days of sabbatical and I needed time to devote myself to those who dedicated themselves to me: My wife, children, parents. I needed to recharge.”
Before looking to Pirlo, Maldini and Leonardo had also held talks with Pep Guardiola about the Italy head coach role.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 19: Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, acknowledges the fans after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on April 19, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
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“His name alone would have brought a boost and we needed that,” said Buffon. “But having him there wouldn’t have brought a guarantee of results. He has been the greatest for 30 years, but he has just coached at clubs. Being with the national team is something different.”
What would Buffon do if he were given the role of technical director?
“I would propose that the main goal is to qualify for the World Cup in four years’ time. On that basis, I would have chosen Conte, then Baldini, and then maybe some of the others. But you have to have courage in your choices and the skill to communicate them to everyone, even to the press.
“Too often, I hear people say ‘that’s the right person’ without having any real qualification. Okay, but these are instinctive choices, not ones that were studied. The project has to come first, then a functional individual.”
Read the full article here
