Roberto Mancini Names Bold 34-Man Squad for Italy’s UEFA Nations League Campaign

Roberto Mancini has wasted no time in stamping his authority on Italy’s new era, naming a bold 34-man squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League campaign in his first act since returning as Azzurri head coach.

The 61-year-old’s reappointment was confirmed by the FIGC at the end of July, after Gennaro Gattuso’s departure and the national team’s latest World Cup failure – a third straight tournament missed. Now comes the hard reset.

A new Italy, with only a trace of the old

Mancini’s second spell starts with four League A Group 1 fixtures across the September/October international break against heavyweight opposition: Belgium, France and a double-header with Turkey.

Only six survivors remain from his Euro 2020-winning side. Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessandro Bastoni, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante and Giacomo Raspadori are the last links to that Wembley night, surrounded now by a squad that looks and feels very different.

The message is unmistakable: reputation alone no longer guarantees a place.

Big names out, fresh faces in

Several high-profile absences underline the scale of the shake-up.

Chelsea defender Marco Palestra, recently sidelined by injury, is left out despite making his international debut in March and earning two caps. Tottenham’s Destiny Udogie, who has not featured for Italy since June 2025, also misses out. So does Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa, called up earlier this year but without an appearance for the Azzurri since Euro 2024.

They are not alone. Juventus trio Manuel Locatelli, Federico Gatti and Andrea Cambiaso, Napoli pair Leonardo Spinazzola and Alessandro Buongiorno, and Al-Qadsiah striker Mateo Retegui are all omitted from the squad as Mancini redraws the map.

In their place comes a wave of new blood. Nine players receive their first senior call-up.

Brentford right-back Michael Kayode and 18-year-old Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina headline the newcomers, both rewarded for their club progress with a chance to stake a claim on the international stage.

They are joined by Roma’s Daniele Ghilardi, Monza’s Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari’s Alessandro Romano, Sporting Lisbon’s Issa Doumbia, Sassuolo’s Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli’s Antonio Vergara and Nurnberg’s Mohamed Ali Zoma. For each of them, Coverciano now becomes the gateway to a different level of scrutiny.

Youth at the heart of Mancini’s rebuild

Mancini has not ripped everything up. Some of the most intriguing young talents from the previous cycle keep their spots.

Borussia Dortmund forward Samuele Inacio, born in Italy to a Brazilian father and committed to the Azzurri, retains his place in the squad. So does fellow 18-year-old Honest Ahanor, on loan at Crystal Palace from Chelsea, as Italy continue to lean into a more cosmopolitan, club-hardened generation.

Alongside them stand established names who will form the spine of this transition. Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori is included, as are Inter’s Federico Dimarco and Nicolo Barella. Tottenham midfielder Sandro Tonali returns to the fold, while Como striker Moise Kean is also selected, offering a familiar option in attack amid the influx of rookies.

This is not a quiet evolution. It is a deliberate pivot.

A demanding start for the new-look Azzurri

Italy will assemble at Coverciano next Monday for their first training session under Mancini 2.0, before the competitive reality hits.

The Nations League campaign begins on September 25 at the Stadio Olimpico, where Italy host Belgium in what will be an immediate test of chemistry and courage for this reshaped group.

Three days later, the Azzurri head to Bursa to face Turkey, the first of two meetings that could go a long way towards defining their group position. Then comes a trip to Saint-Denis on October 2 to take on 2026 World Cup semi-finalists France, a fixture that rarely allows for half-measures or half-baked projects.

The international window closes on October 5 at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, where Italy welcome Turkey for the return match. By then, Mancini will have four high-stakes games’ worth of evidence on who belongs in this new cycle – and who risks being left behind.