Mancini Names Bold 34-Man Italy Squad with Nine Debutants
Roberto Mancini has not eased himself back into the Italy job. He has kicked the door open.
Barely weeks after returning to the Azzurri bench on a contract running to 2030, the coach has named a 34-man Nations League squad that looks far more like a reboot than a gentle refresh. Nine uncapped players, several long-awaited recalls, and one high-profile omission signal a manager intent on reshaping the national team in his image – and quickly.
Italy face a demanding two-week block: Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday, September 25, a double-header with Vincenzo Montella’s Türkiye, and a trip to meet Zinedine Zidane’s France. For Mancini, it is the start of a new era played at full speed.
New blood everywhere
The headline is the wave of debutants. Mancini has pushed hard on the reset button, calling up nine players who have never worn the senior shirt.
In goal, Bologna’s Massimo Pessina gets his first taste of the national setup, a clear signal that places behind the established names are no longer ring‑fenced. At the back, Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi and Brentford full-back Michael Kayode inject youth and energy into a defensive unit that had begun to feel too familiar.
They are not alone. Monza defender Eddy Kouadio joins the group, while Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano steps into a crowded but evolving engine room. From abroad, Sporting CP’s Issa Doumbia adds another fresh profile, the kind of modern, multi-functional midfielder Mancini has often favoured.
Up front, the shake-up is even more striking. Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli forward Antonio Vergara and Nurnberg’s Mohamed Ali Zoma all earn their first call-ups, a trio that changes the look and feel of Italy’s attacking options in one stroke. Raw, hungry, and unscarred by recent disappointments – exactly the kind of forwards a rebuilding coach likes to test early.
Trust in recent faces
Mancini has not simply torn everything up. Some of the newer names from recent friendlies have kept their place, a nod to continuity amid the churn.
Crystal Palace defender Honest Ahanor stays in after his recent involvement, rewarded for his performances and versatility. Further forward, Borussia Dortmund’s Samuele Inacio also retains Mancini’s trust, underlining that the door is not just open to debutants, but to those who have already shown they can adapt quickly to the international stage.
The message is clear: perform when given a chance, and you stay in the conversation.
Big returns and one notable absence
If the debutants point to the future, some of the recalls drag the story back a few years.
Fiorentina midfielder Nicolò Fagioli and Udinese attacker Nicolò Zaniolo both return to the squad, ending international exiles that stretch back to October 2024. Their inclusion restores two high-ceiling talents to the fold, players capable of changing the rhythm of a game when fully fit and focused.
Then there is Rolando Mandragora. The Torino midfielder’s last Italy appearance came in March 2021, a lifetime ago in international football terms. His surprise recall hints at Mancini’s desire for balance: not just youth and flair, but experience, tactical discipline, and players who understand the grind of a long season.
Not everyone has made the cut. As expected, Chelsea defender Marco Palestra misses out, still sidelined and yet to play this season because of injury. In another context, he would almost certainly be in the conversation. For now, the national team moves on without him.
A demanding schedule for a new-look Italy
The work starts immediately. The squad will assemble at Coverciano on Monday, September 21, where Mancini will get his first extended look at this revamped group on the training pitch.
From there, the calendar offers no breathing space. Belgium come first at the Stadio Olimpico on September 25, a high-profile curtain-raiser for Mancini’s second spell. Then Italy travel to face Türkiye on September 28, the first of two meetings with Montella’s side in this window.
The toughest test, on paper, arrives in Paris. On Friday, October 2, the Azzurri visit Zidane’s France, a fixture that always carries weight, regardless of competition. They close the window back on home soil, hosting Türkiye again at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on October 5.
Four games. Two weeks. One coach determined to redraw the hierarchy.
Mancini has laid down his marker with this squad list. The question now is not whether Italy are changing, but how quickly this new group can turn bold selections into results on the pitch.
