Roberto Mancini Returns as Italy Coach with Bold Plans
Roberto Mancini is back in charge of Italy and, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he is wasting no time making a statement.
More than eight years after his first appointment in May 2018, the returning head coach is expected to open his second spell with a sprawling squad of up to 35 players for the upcoming international window, a list shaped as much by necessity as by curiosity.
A brutal schedule, a swollen squad
The calendar leaves him little choice. Four Nations League matches in just 11 days will stretch any group, so Mancini plans to arm himself with numbers.
Italy open against Belgium in Rome on 25 September, then head on the road for tough trips to Turkey and France, before closing the window back on home soil against Turkey in Bologna. It is an intense, unforgiving run that demands rotation, fresh legs and a bench that can actually change games rather than simply fill it.
New faces, bold calls
That is where the surprises come in.
Uncapped prospects Romano, Zoma and Samuel Inacio are all tipped for a first taste of the senior setup, with Doumbia and Ahanor also under serious consideration. Between the posts, Bologna goalkeeper Pessina could be rewarded with a call, joining an established group that includes Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi and Guglielmo Vicario.
Romano’s rise in midfield has forced Mancini’s hand. His recent form, coupled with Italy’s shortage of options in the centre of the pitch, has pushed the youngster into contention earlier than many expected.
Up front, the search is different. Italy need width, unpredictability, someone willing to attack space. German‑based forward Zoma is being lined up as that option, a potential new angle in an attacking department that has too often looked narrow and predictable.
Echoes of Euro 2020
For all the experimentation, 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 remain central figures. Their presence offers continuity and leadership in a dressing room that will suddenly feel much younger and far more crowded.
Federico Bernardeschi, a hero of that European title run, is being weighed up for a surprise recall, as is midfielder Rolando Mandragora. Both would represent a nod to the past, but also a reminder that Mancini trusts players who have already delivered for him on big nights.
Injury setbacks and careful compromises
Not everyone is available for the reunion.
Federico Chiesa, Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli and Alessandro Buongiorno are all ruled out through injury, stripping Italy of creativity, drive and defensive stability in one hit. Their absences partly explain the expanded squad and the willingness to test new faces under real pressure.
Mateo Retegui, currently on holiday in Argentina, remains a possible late addition if needed, a wildcard option that Mancini can still play should the attacking options look too thin once the squad assembles.
At the same time, the coach has chosen not to rip everything up at youth level. A full-scale revolution has been parked. To protect the Italy Under‑21 side, standout youngsters Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli and Luca Koleosho will stay under Bernardo Baldini for crucial European qualifiers rather than being fast-tracked into the senior group.
Nations League stakes – and beyond
The stakes are clear. Italy are targeting a top-two finish in Nations League Group A, which would secure a place in the quarter-finals and restore a sense of authority after recent inconsistencies on the international stage.
These matches carry another weight as well. The results across this window will influence seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast, a long-term consideration that Mancini cannot ignore as he reshapes his squad.
So the second Mancini era begins not with a quiet reset, but with a 35-man audition under the glare of competitive football. The question now is simple: who will turn this crowded roll call into a permanent place in Italy’s future?
