Roberto Mancini's Bold Italy Squad for Nations League Reset
Roberto Mancini didn’t just slip his way back into the Italy job. He kicked the door open with a 34-man squad that screams reset.
Barely weeks after returning to the Azzurri bench on a contract running to 2030, Mancini has named a bold, sprawling group for a Nations League block that will test both his ideas and his nerve. Across a packed two-week window, Italy will face Vincenzo Montella’s Türkiye twice, as well as Belgium and Zinedine Zidane’s France. The reboot begins at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday, September 25, when Belgium come to town.
A squad built for a new cycle
This is not a gentle easing back into international management. Mancini has flooded the squad with fresh blood, handing maiden call-ups to nine players and signalling that reputations count for less than form and potential.
In goal, Bologna’s Massimo Pessina gets his first taste of the senior setup, a reward for his rise at club level. At the back, Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi and Brentford full-back Michael Kayode step into a defensive unit that suddenly looks younger, quicker, and far less predictable.
They are joined by Monza defender Eddy Kouadio, part of a new-look back line, while in midfield Cagliari’s Alessandro Romano and Sporting CP talent Issa Doumbia add legs, energy and a hint of continental polish.
The refresh doesn’t stop there. Mancini has gone after new weapons up front as well. Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli forward Antonio Vergara, and Nürnberg’s Mohamed Ali Zoma all receive their first call-ups, swelling an attacking group that had grown stale in recent cycles.
Amid the new faces, there is continuity where Mancini believes it matters. Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor keeps his place after recent friendlies, as does Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio. Both are still at the beginning of their international journeys, but their inclusion underlines that this is an evolution, not a complete tear-down.
Big returns and one notable absence
The squad list also carries the weight of unfinished business. Two of Italy’s most discussed midfield and attacking talents are back in blue after long absences.
Fiorentina midfielder Nicolò Fagioli and Udinese attacker Nicolò Zaniolo return to the fold, neither having represented Italy since October 2024. Their recalls are more than sentimental gestures: both bring creativity and personality in areas where Italy have often looked short.
The surprise comes in midfield. Torino’s Rolando Mandragora, whose last cap dates back to March 2021, is back in the conversation. His inclusion hints at Mancini’s desire for balance and experience around the younger core, especially in a competition where tactical discipline often decides tight games.
Not everyone makes the cut. As expected, Chelsea defender Marco Palestra misses out, still sidelined and yet to play a minute this season because of injury. In another era, his name might have been carried on reputation alone. Under this new-old Mancini, availability and rhythm win.
A demanding schedule, no hiding places
Italy will assemble at Coverciano on Monday, September 21, the traditional heartbeat of the national team. From there, the calendar turns ruthless.
Belgium first, under the lights at the Olimpico on September 25. Then a trip to face Montella’s Türkiye on September 28, a meeting that will be repeated at the end of the window. Between those two clashes sits a marquee test: a visit to Zidane’s France on Friday, October 2, a fixture that will expose any fault lines in this experimental squad.
The international break closes at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on October 5, where Italy host Türkiye again, by which time the picture around Mancini’s new era will be far clearer.
Nine debutants, three major recalls, one high-profile omission and a contract that runs to 2030. Mancini has shown his hand. Now the question is simple: can this reshaped Italy grow up fast enough under Nations League pressure to match the ambition of its manager?
