Roberto Mancini Names Bold New Squad for Italy's UEFA Nations League Campaign
Roberto Mancini has wasted no time.
In his first major act since returning to the Italy dugout, the 61-year-old has named a bold 34-man squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign – and it looks very different to the team that conquered Europe three years ago.
A new Mancini era, again
Mancini’s re-appointment was confirmed by the FIGC at the end of July, after Gennaro Gattuso’s departure and the humiliation of missing a third consecutive World Cup. Now comes the hard reset.
Italy open their League A, Group 1 campaign with four games across the September–October international window: Belgium at home, France away, and a double-header with Turkey. It’s a demanding schedule, and Mancini has responded with a squad that screams transition.
From the Euro 2020 champions, only six survivors remain: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante and Giacomo Raspadori. The old guard is shrinking fast.
Big names cut as injuries bite
The omissions jump off the page.
- Chelsea defender Marco Palestra, currently sidelined by injury, is out.
- So is Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie and Liverpool winger Federico Chiesa, who has not played for Italy since Euro 2024 despite a call-up earlier this year.
- Palestra, capped twice, only made his international debut in March.
- Udogie hasn’t featured since June 2025.
- Chiesa, once the face of Italy’s attacking future, now finds himself on the outside looking in.
They are not alone. Juventus trio Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Andrea Cambiaso miss out. Napoli pair Leonardo Spinazzola and Alessandro Buongiorno are absent too, as is Mateo Retegui, now at Al-Qadsiah.
Mancini has drawn a hard line. Reputation alone no longer guarantees a place.
Nine new faces
In their place comes a wave of fresh blood – nine debutants handed a chance to stake a claim.
- Brentford right-back Michael Kayode earns his first call, as does 18-year-old Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina.
- Both represent the kind of athletic, modern profiles Mancini has long favoured.
- Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi, Monza’s Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari’s Alessandro Romano and Sporting Lisbon midfielder Issa Doumbia also step into the senior setup for the first time.
- Up front and in midfield, Sassuolo’s Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli’s Antonio Vergara and Nurnberg’s Mohamed Ali Zoma complete the list of newcomers.
For all nine, this camp is an audition – and Mancini has a history of fast-tracking those who impress.
Youth retained, core intact
Not everything has changed.
Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio keeps his place, a significant marker for a player with Brazilian roots who has committed his future to Italy. He stays alongside fellow 18-year-old Honest Ahanor, on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, as Mancini leans heavily into the next generation.
Around them, a spine of established names remains. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori is in. Inter’s Federico Dimarco and Nicolo Barella are both selected, as is Tottenham midfielder Sandro Tonali. Up front, Como’s Moise Kean is handed another opportunity to relaunch his international career.
This is not a complete revolution. It’s a blend – the remnants of a winning core wrapped around a new, hungry group.
A brutal schedule awaits
Italy gather at Coverciano next Monday for their first training session under Mancini 2.0. The real examination arrives quickly.
On September 25, the Azzurri host Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, a fixture loaded with recent history and tactical intrigue. Three days later they fly to Bursa to face Turkey, a side they will then meet again on October 5 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.
Between those two Turkey clashes sits a trip to Saint-Denis on October 2 to face 2026 World Cup semi-finalists France – as stern a test as any team can face right now.
For Mancini, there is no gentle reintroduction, no soft landing. He has chosen to rip up large parts of the old script and trust a new cast.
The question now is simple: can this reshaped Italy grow up fast enough under the glare of Europe’s toughest stage?
