Roberto Mancini dropped a big hint on Monday he will stay on as Italy coach despite the Azzurri failing to qualify for the World Cup for a second successive time. The European champions were stunned by North Macedonia in Thursday’s qualification play-off semi-final for this year’s tournament in Qatar, sparking talk he could resign in the aftermath of perhaps Italy’s worst-ever defeat.

However, although he wouldn’t openly confirm that he would stay at the helm, on Monday Mancini spoke about the team and the future using the first-person plural “noi”, or “we.” “I’ve spoken with the [Italian Football Federation] president [Gabriele Gravina] in the last few days, I think we’re on the same page on pretty much everything,” Mancini told reporters ahead of Italy’s friendly with Turkey in Konya on Tuesday.