Roberto Mancini will stay on as Italy coach despite the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup again.
Italy, who won the European Championship only eight months ago, lost to North Macedonia 1-0 in the play-offs on Thursday and will now miss a second straight World Cup.
The previous failure led to the dismissal of coach Gian Piero Ventura and the appointment of Mancini.
However, the Italian soccer federation this time has decided to stick with the coach who revitalized the national team and led it to the Euro 2020 title. The 57-year-old Mancini was given a contract extension through 2026 in May.
We need to start again," Mancini said Monday. "I talked to the president, were in agreement on everything well have time to discuss what we need to improve.
"I'm still young and I wanted to win a European Championship and a World Cup, well have to wait for the second a little bit. I like this work and I know that with the players we can organise again something important. Apart from the disappointment, everything else is moving forward.
"We need to start again with a new cycle. We have important matches coming up," Mancini said. "We will certainly introduce younger players already in June for the Nations League. I hope they will get experience in their club. That's fundamental."
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