Mancini's Bold New Era for Italy Begins
Roberto Mancini has wasted no time announcing that his second spell in charge of Italy will look nothing like the first.
Barely weeks after returning to the Azzurri bench on a contract running through to 2030, the coach has named a 34-man squad for a demanding Nations League block that will test both his imagination and his nerve. Four games in two weeks, against Belgium, France and twice against Vincenzo Montella’s Türkiye, will offer no hiding place for anyone.
Mancini’s response? A shake-up.
Nine debutants and a clear message
Nine players receive their first senior call-up, a number that would be striking in a summer friendly camp, let alone on the eve of competitive fixtures.
Between the posts, Bologna’s Massimo Pessina steps into the national set-up for the first time, a signal that the goalkeeping hierarchy is not set in stone. At the back, Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi and Brentford full-back Michael Kayode add fresh legs and, crucially, the kind of athleticism Mancini has often craved from his wide defenders.
They are not alone. Monza defender Eddy Kouadio joins the defensive pool, while the midfield gains Cagliari’s Alessandro Romano and Sporting CP’s Issa Doumbia, two profiles that hint at a desire for more energy and vertical play in the centre of the pitch.
Up front, the revolution continues. Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli forward Antonio Vergara and Nürnberg’s Mohamed Ali Zoma are all handed the chance to stake a claim in an attacking department that has long been Italy’s weak point. None of them arrive as established stars. All of them arrive with something to prove.
The message from Coverciano is unmistakable: reputations alone will not carry anyone into this team.
Faith in recent faces, doors reopened for old ones
Amid the wave of newcomers, Mancini has not abandoned those who have already answered his call in recent months. Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor and Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio both keep their places after featuring in recent friendlies, rewarded for their performances and adaptability.
Then come the names that will raise eyebrows for different reasons.
Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo are back. The Fiorentina midfielder and Udinese attacker have not pulled on the Azzurri shirt since October 2024, but Mancini has decided this reset is the right moment to restore their international careers. Both carry the weight of expectation; both also bring qualities Italy have missed: Fagioli’s passing range and Zaniolo’s ability to break lines and unsettle defences.
Rolando Mandragora’s recall might be the most surprising of all. The Torino midfielder last appeared for Italy in March 2021. His return suggests Mancini still values his tactical discipline and left-footed balance in midfield, especially in a schedule that will demand rotation and reliability.
One notable absentee underlines the ruthlessness of elite football. Chelsea defender Marco Palestra misses out, as anticipated, having yet to play this season because of injury. His omission is pragmatic rather than symbolic, but it underlines the competition now building in defensive areas.
A brutal schedule to test the blueprint
Italy will assemble at Coverciano on Monday, September 21, where Mancini will have only a handful of sessions to weld this reshaped squad into something coherent.
The new era starts in a familiar setting. Belgium visit the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday, September 25, a fixture that rarely disappoints and will serve as an immediate barometer of where this group stands.
Then the travel begins.
On September 28, the Azzurri head to face Montella’s Türkiye, a side whose intensity and aggression will quickly expose any tactical or physical frailties. A trip to meet Zinedine Zidane’s France in Paris follows on Friday, October 2, a marquee clash against one of the deepest squads in world football.
Italy close the window back on home soil, hosting Türkiye again, this time at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on October 5. By then, the experiment will already be under scrutiny.
Risk, reward, and a long road to 2030
This is not a cautious reintroduction. Mancini has chosen upheaval over continuity, competition over comfort. Established names return from the cold, youngsters step into the light, and every line of the squad list hints at a coach thinking far beyond the next international break.
The Nations League will provide the first verdict. The real question is whether this bold reset can carry Italy all the way to the horizon Mancini has signed up for: a project that runs to 2030, starting with a restless, hungry squad and a coach who has clearly decided that the past will not dictate the future.
