How Roberto Mancini has rebuilt Italy to take them to precipice of Euro 2020 glory Three years ago, Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. The nation had a squad that needed to be refreshed and an identify that required an overhaul. Roberto Mancini was hired to return his homeland to glory, and he is off to a great start. The last time the 2019 Italian Sportsman of the Year featured for Gli Azzurri was when he was a player. Mancini was on the national team from 1984-94 but was never a regular due to the immense attacking options his country had. Prior to the 1994 World Cup, the forward decided to retire from the national team at the age of 29 because iconic manager Arrigo Sacchi did not guarantee him a place in the starting lineup.