Roberto Mancini is back in charge of Italy, and he is not easing himself in.
According to leaked details reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, the returning head coach is preparing an extra-large squad of up to 35 players for a brutal international window that crams four Nations League games into just 11 days. It is a bold re-entry for a man beginning his second spell with the Azzurri more than eight years after his first appointment in May 2018.
A heavy schedule, a heavyweight squad
The calendar leaves him little choice. Italy open against Belgium in Rome on 25 September, then head on the road to Turkey and France before finishing the block back on home soil against Turkey in Bologna. Four games, three cities, 11 days. Rotation will not be a luxury; it will be the only way to survive.
Mancini’s answer is clear: cast the net wide.
The provisional list is expected to blend the core of Italy’s Euro 2020 winners with a wave of new and returning faces. The message is unmistakable — nobody’s place is untouchable, but experience still matters.
New blood on the radar
Among the headline talking points are several uncapped names. Romano, Zoma, and Samuel Inacio are all being tipped for first call-ups, with Doumbia and Ahanor also in the frame.
Romano, a midfielder in strong recent form, has pushed himself into contention at precisely the right moment. With Italy short of convincing options in the middle of the pitch, his rise has come as a welcome complication for Mancini’s selection plans.
Zoma, based in Germany, offers something Italy have lacked for too long: genuine width from the forward line. The attacking department has been crying out for a different profile, and his inclusion would be a clear attempt to stretch defences and change the rhythm in the final third.
In goal, Bologna’s Pessina could be rewarded with a place alongside established names Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi, and Guglielmo Vicario. It would be a nod to club form and a reminder that the pecking order is not entirely closed.
Echoes of Euro 2020
For all the experimentation, Mancini is not tearing up the old blueprint.
Nicolò Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante, and Alessandro Bastoni — pillars of the Euro 2020 triumph — remain central to his plans. Their presence provides the spine and leadership a rotating squad will need during such a compressed run of fixtures.
There is also room for potential nostalgia. Federico Bernardeschi, a key figure in that Euros run, and Rolando Mandragora are both under consideration for surprise recalls. If selected, they would symbolise Mancini’s belief that certain players still have something to give at this level, even after drifting from the centre of the international stage.
Injuries bite, and one eye on youth
The optimism is tempered by a harsh injury list. Federico Chiesa, Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli, and Alessandro Buongiorno are all ruled out, stripping Italy of creativity, drive, and defensive reliability in one blow. Their absence opens doors for others but also forces tactical adjustments.
Mateo Retegui, meanwhile, remains on holiday in Argentina. His situation is more flexible: he is not in the immediate plans, but Mancini could still pick up the phone if circumstances demand it.
Despite the temptation to overhaul everything at once, Mancini has deliberately stepped back from a full-scale revolution. Protecting the Italy Under-21 side is a priority. Key youngsters such as Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli, and Luca Koleosho will stay with Bernardo Baldini’s squad for crucial European qualifiers, rather than being fast-tracked into the senior setup for this window.
The message is strategic: build depth without gutting the next generation.
Nations League stakes and the road to Euro 2028
This is not a friendly tour dressed up as competitive football. The Nations League campaign carries real weight.
Italy are targeting a top-two finish in Group A, a requirement to reach the quarter-finals and maintain their standing among Europe’s elite. Every point in this compressed run will matter, every rotation decision scrutinised.
There is another layer of importance. The results from this window will feed directly into the seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast. Slip now, and Italy could pay the price for years.
Mancini’s second era begins not with a gentle reset, but with a stress test. A swollen squad, a punishing schedule, and high stakes from day one. How quickly he can fuse old champions with new hopefuls will shape not only this Nations League campaign, but the path Italy must walk all the way to 2028.
