Veteran Returns to Reboot the Blue Squad: Mancini Unveils First 34-Man Call-Up with Eight International Debutants
On Friday, Beijing time, Roberto Mancini, who has only just taken over as head coach of the Italian national team, released his first squad call-up since joining the job. The 34-player list includes eight players who have never previously worn the national team shirt. The group will feature in four upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures.
Mancini's return to the dugout comes with the weighty task of turning the team's fortunes around. The squad blends some of the core veterans who helped Italy lift the European Championship in 2021 under his leadership with a host of young faces expected to make their international debuts. The Azzurri have recently been in deep trouble, missing out on a World Cup qualifier for the third consecutive cycle—a result that directly led the federation president and former head coach Gattuso to resign their posts in April, following the team's earlier elimination by Bosnia-Herzegovina in the play-offs. Mancini stepped down from the same role three years ago to accept a lucrative offer from the Saudi side, and he has now been called back to Italy.
The eight players awaiting their international debut are: Mohamed Ali Zouma, Antonio Belgaia, Alessandro Romagnoli, Issa Dumbia, Michael Kayode, Massimo Pessina, Samuele Inacio and Sebastiano Esposito.
Under the league-stage competition rules, each team must submit its 23-man matchday list by midnight before the start of every match, though rotation of players during breaks in the schedule is permitted. Italy's upcoming fixtures are as follows: hosting Belgium at home on 25 September, followed by a trip to Turkey three days later, France on 2 October, and a return match against Turkey on 5 October.
The 22-year-old Ali Zouma has been in impressive form in Germany this season, scoring 15 goals in 31 appearances for 2. Bundesliga side Nuremberg last term and continuing his hot run with five goals in just five matches this year. Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romagnoli, who changed his FIFA registration nationality from Switzerland to Italy last week, successfully secured a call-up. Bologna's 18-year-old goalkeeper Massimo Pessina has only five Serie A appearances to his name, but he made an exceptional debut last weekend against Napoli, stepping in at short notice for first-choice goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski after the Polish international missed the starting lineup for arriving late to training. Sporting CP signed the 22-year-old midfielder Dumbia from Venezia during the summer break for approximately €23 million (about $26.4 million), with an €80 million (about $91.8 million) release clause included in the contract. According to authoritative media reports, this call-up marks the first step in Mancini's rebuild of the Italian national side.