Italy hope for new dawn under Mancini

Italy will look to begin a new era under Roberto Mancini when they face Belgium in their UEFA Nations League opener at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome upcoming Friday (25 September).

The match will be Italy's first competitive fixture since their play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina in March ended their hopes of reaching the World Cup for a third consecutive time.

Mancini, who guided Italy to the Euro 2020 title, has returned as head coach with a revamped squad featuring several young and inexperienced players.

"We have to take the national team back to where it deserves to be," Mancini said on Monday (21 September). "I'm here to win and I'm sure we'll enjoy some great moments."

The changes follow widespread calls for reform in Italian football after the World Cup qualifying failure left Italy facing a third consecutive absence from the tournament.

Coach Gennaro Gattuso, delegation head Gianluigi Buffon and Italian Football Federation (FIGC) president Gabriele Gravina all left their positions following the defeat.

Giovanni Malago, who headed the Milan-Cortina Olympics, was elected FIGC president in June and appointed former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini as technical director to oversee the search for a new coach.

Maldini initially approached Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti before turning to Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, who ultimately declined the job.

Andrea Pirlo was then considered for the role but withdrew amid controversy over his work as a global ambassador for a Russian betting company. The episode ended with Maldini and his adviser Leonardo leaving their positions after just 16 days.

Mancini was appointed in July, but his return proved controversial after he left the Italy job in August 2023 to take charge of Saudi Arabia.

His departure drew criticism in Italy, with Rome-based newspaper Corriere dello Sport accusing him of "betrayal" and saying "apologies are not enough". Sky Sport pundit Paolo Condo also criticised his decision to leave the national team for a lucrative move.

Mancini addressed the criticism at his presentation after returning to the post.

"I'm very sorry. The Italy shirt was always very important to me. It was like losing the love of my life," he said.

Mancini's first squad included nine new faces in a 34-man selection, underlining his intention to build for the future.

Youngsters Alessandro Romano and Eddy Kouadio were included, along with Sporting Lisbon midfielder Issa Doumbia, Brentford's Michael Kayode and Nuernberg striker Mohamed Ali Zoma.

"I think it's right to have young players so we can get to know them directly, because that's the most important thing to have a very strong squad in the future," Mancini said.

"We have to be quick to understand who could be the players that could be with us for the next four years."

After hosting Belgium on Friday, Italy will face Turkey twice, either side of a trip to France.