Roberto Mancini's Bold Return to the Azzurri with Expanded Squad
Roberto Mancini is back in charge of the Azzurri, and he is wasting no time making a statement.
According to leaked details reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the returning Italy coach is preparing an outsized squad of up to 35 players for the upcoming international window, a number that underlines both the physical demands of the schedule and the scale of his rebuilding job. Eight years on from his first appointment in May 2018, Mancini’s second spell starts with a sprint, not a stroll.
A brutal schedule, a bloated squad
Four Nations League games in 11 days leave little room for sentiment or stability. Italy open against Belgium in Rome on 25 September, then hit the road for testing trips to Turkey and France, before returning home to face Turkey again in Bologna.
That run explains the swollen list. Mancini wants options. He will need them.
Squad rotation will not be a luxury but a necessity as Italy chase a top-two finish in Nations League Group A, a target that brings with it a place in the quarter-finals and, just as crucially, influence over seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast. Every selection, every minute managed, will echo into the next cycle.
New faces on the radar
The leaks point to several surprise names. Uncapped prospects Romano, Zoma, and Samuel Inacio are all expected to be involved, with Doumbia and Ahanor also in line for potential call-ups.
Romano, a midfielder, has forced his way into the conversation with a strong run of club form at a time when Italy’s options in central areas are thin. He offers energy and initiative in a zone where Mancini has been searching for fresh legs.
Zoma, based in Germany, is being lined up to add something Italy have lacked for too long: genuine width from the forward line. His profile fits an attack that has often looked narrow and predictable.
In goal, Bologna’s Pessina could be rewarded with a place alongside established names Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi, and Guglielmo Vicario. The presence of four goalkeepers in a 35-man group would underline the intensity of the schedule and the desire to keep workloads carefully balanced.
Old guard, new mission
For all the talk of change, the spine of Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph still runs through Mancini’s plans. Nicolò Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante, and Alessandro Bastoni are all expected to feature, anchoring a squad that blends the familiar with the experimental.
There is also room, potentially, for a couple of blasts from the past. Euro winner Federico Bernardeschi and midfielder Rolando Mandragora are both under consideration for surprise recalls, players who know the demands of the shirt and the coach’s methods.
Mancini, though, cannot call everyone he might like. The injury list bites hard.
Injuries and compromises
Federico Chiesa, Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli, and Alessandro Buongiorno are all ruled out, stripping Italy of creativity, drive, and defensive security. Each absence complicates the selection puzzle and nudges the coach further towards experimentation.
Mateo Retegui, meanwhile, remains on holiday in Argentina. He is not in the immediate picture but has not been discarded; the door stays ajar if circumstances change and a late striking option is needed.
One area where Mancini has chosen restraint is the Under-21 side. He has decided against a sweeping revolution that would strip Bernardo Baldini’s squad ahead of crucial European qualifiers. Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli, and Luca Koleosho will stay put, a clear signal that the senior rebuild will not come at the expense of the next generation’s competitive rhythm.
A delicate balancing act
This is the tightrope Mancini must walk: refresh the Azzurri without hollowing out the pipeline beneath them, chase Nations League progress while managing a punishing calendar, and reassert Italy’s identity with a group that mixes Euro-winning veterans, fringe hopefuls, and raw newcomers.
The names will soon be official. The real judgement starts on 25 September in Rome, when Mancini’s second Italy steps out and the scale of his gamble comes into full view.
