Former manager of Napoli Luciano Spalletti has been appointed as the new boss of the Italian national football team, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Friday.

"The FIGC is happy to announce that an agreement has been found with the Tuscan coach, who will start his role from 1 September. His official presentation will take place in Coverciano when the squad meet up for matches against North Macedonia and Ukraine," the Italian football governing body said in the announcement.

Having worked as a manager for nearly 30 years, Spalletti has managed multiple powerhouses including AS Roma, Zenit Saint Petersburg, Inter Milan and Napoli. Last season, he led Napoli to win their first Serie A title in 33 years with a dominant lead of 16 points. After that, Spalletti decided to step down.

Italy just saw their manager Roberto Mancini resign last week. They won the UEFA European Championship title in 2021, but missed the FIFA World Cup in 2022 under Mancini. His departure left Gli Azzurri in urgent need of a new boss for the sake of the ongoing qualifying tournament for the 2024 European Championship.

Italy will play Ukraine on September 12 and North Macedonia on September 17 in the qualifying tournament.

"We welcome Spalletti," FIGC President Gabriele Gravina said. "The National Team needed a great coach and I am very happy that he has accepted to lead the Azzurri. His enthusiasm and expertise will be fundamental for the challenges that await Italy in the coming months."

FIGC may have a legal issue to settle with Napoli over hiring Spalletti. When the manager stepped aside, he signed a document that included a three-million-euro (about $3.3 million) payment to Napoli if he returned to work within a year of his contract.

FIGC lawyers believe that the non-compete clause only accounts to clubs that are rivals to Napoli, but Napoli's president Aurelio De Laurentiis says otherwise.

"I asked for guarantees that (Spalletti) would respect this sabbatical, including a penalty in the event of his commitment wavering," De Laurentiis said recently. "(The FIGC) should not be put off by having to pay one million euros per year on the coach's behalf to free him from his contractual obligations (a commitment not only to Napoli, but also to the club's millions of fans). This is all incoherent."

"Admittedly, three million euros (about $3.3 million) is not a lot to Napoli and even less to me, but the question in this case is not about the 'almighty dollar,' but a matter of principle instead," he added.