Roberto Mancini's Bold Return to Italy: Calling Up 35 Players

Roberto Mancini is back in charge of Italy, and he’s wasting no time making a statement.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the returning Azzurri coach is set to call up as many as 35 players for the upcoming international window, a supersized squad that underlines both the intensity of the schedule and the scale of the rebuild he has in mind.

More than eight years on from his first appointment in May 2018, Mancini begins his second spell with Italy staring at a brutal run: four Nations League games crammed into just 11 days.

Heavy schedule, heavy squad

The calendar explains the numbers. Italy open against Belgium in Rome on 25 September, then hit the road for back-to-back away tests in Turkey and France, before returning home to face Turkey again in Bologna.

With that kind of workload, rotation isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.

Mancini’s provisional list reflects it. Alongside the familiar Euro 2020 core, a wave of fresh faces is expected to break into the senior setup. Uncapped prospects Romano, Zoma, and Samuel Inacio are all tipped for a first taste of the national team environment, with Doumbia and Ahanor also in the frame for call-ups.

Between the posts, Bologna goalkeeper Pessina is pushing for inclusion and could join Gianluigi Donnarumma, Marco Carnesecchi, and Guglielmo Vicario in a crowded goalkeeping department.

New ideas, old backbone

The spine of the side that lifted the European Championship remains central to Mancini’s plans. Nicolò Barella, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Bryan Cristante, and Alessandro Bastoni are all expected to feature prominently across the four games, anchoring a group that will look very different around them.

There is room, too, for a few blasts from the past. Federico Bernardeschi, a key figure during the Euro 2020 triumph, is under consideration for a surprise recall, as is midfielder Rolando Mandragora. Both would add experience to a squad that could otherwise lean heavily on players still learning the international game.

The real intrigue lies in the new blood. Midfielder Romano has forced his way into contention on the back of strong recent performances, his rise helped by Italy’s shortage of options in central areas. German-based forward Zoma is being lined up to inject pace and width into an attacking unit that has long searched for reliable threats out wide.

Injury setbacks and careful compromises

Mancini’s plans are not without complications. Injuries have stripped him of several key names: Federico Chiesa, Nicolò Zaniolo, Manuel Locatelli, and Alessandro Buongiorno are all ruled out, removing quality and experience from every line of the pitch.

Mateo Retegui, meanwhile, remains on holiday in Argentina. He is not expected to be part of the initial group, but the door stays open if circumstances force Mancini’s hand.

One thing the coach has chosen not to do is tear everything up at once. To avoid gutting the Italy Under-21 side, he has delayed a full-scale revolution. Talented youngsters such as Cher Ndour, Niccolo Pisilli, and Luca Koleosho will stay with Bernardo Baldini’s U21 squad for their crucial European qualifiers, rather than being fast-tracked into the senior team.

The message is clear: rebuild, yes, but not at the expense of the next generation’s development.

Nations League stakes and Euro implications

Beyond the experimentation and the expanded squad list, there is hard competitive edge to this window. Italy are targeting a top-two finish in their Nations League Group A, a position that would secure a place in the quarter-finals and restore some of the aura that has faded since that magical summer of 2021.

These games carry weight beyond the immediate table. The results across this block of fixtures will also influence Italy’s seeding for the Euro 2028 qualification draw in Belfast, shaping the path they will have to walk in the next cycle.

So Mancini returns with 35 names, four games, and very little room for missteps. The question now is simple: can this blend of trusted champions and bold newcomers give the Azzurri the jolt they’ve been waiting for?