Roberto Mancini's second spell in charge begins with a 34-man Italy squad for the Nations League. Nine new faces are in, and the Azzurri have four matches to fit into 11 days. The first game of his second stint is against Belgium in Rome on Friday, September 25.

The official squad and the leak before it

The official figure is 34, even though pre-announcement reporting had suggested a 35-man list for the four-game block. Football-Italia's report on Mancini's squad named nine new faces, including Michael Kayode, Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia, Mohamed Ali and others, while also noting surprise returns.

That balance looks deliberate. Mancini is giving himself room for rotation in a compressed run, but he is not tearing up the whole group at once. Italy's schedule is tight enough that four fixtures in 11 days almost forces that approach.

The names Mancini has brought back

The more interesting part is the mix of youth and recalls. Mancini brought back Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo, neither of whom had worn the Italy shirt since October 2024. Rolando Mandragora's last call was back in March 2021, which tells you this is not just a youth exercise.

Nine new faces is a proper refresh, not a token gesture. Issa Doumbia comes in with five appearances this season and a 6.94 rating, while Michael Kayode has only four senior appearances and a 6.86 rating. The squad also includes Mohamed Ali, another sign that Mancini is testing options rather than settling for familiar names.

Football-Italia quoted Mancini as saying: "Roberto Mancini has named his 34-man Italy squad for the Nations League, including nine new faces like Michael Kayode, Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia, Alessandro Vergara and Mohamed Ali Zoma, along with some surprise returns."

That is the right level of reset for a returning coach. Italy keep enough experienced players to stay stable over the four-match stretch, but the call-ups show Mancini is already widening the pool before the window even begins.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →