“This is a team sport, it's not tennis,” Nicolò Barella said before Italy's Nations League match against Türkiye on Monday at 20.45 CEST at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna. Barella was left out of the Türkiye trip and then used as a substitute in Paris, but his focus before Italy vs Türkiye was on the group, not his own status. He also said he has been left with only a few goals missing for Italy after a heavy run of games.

Barella's role under Roberto Mancini

Barella's strongest line was about the mood inside the camp. Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, he said: "The match with France showed that we have personality. The coach is the same as always: he likes working with us, brings enthusiasm and clears the players' heads".

He expanded on that in comments to football-italia.net, saying: "One of the best things about the coach is that he allows us players to feel a sense of peace. We had some very difficult and not positive experiences in recent years, especially when it comes to me, Gigio Donnarumma and Alessandro Bastoni. The coach asked us to rediscover our enthusiasm, and I think we are doing that, because otherwise we wouldn’t have got back on track in France and then nearly won it at the end."

That is the useful part of this story, because Barella is not selling a personal grievance. He is describing a squad that feels lighter and more self-assured, with Roberto Mancini's management giving him and the rest of the group room to reset.

Italy's mood ahead of Monday

The immediate context is straightforward enough. Italy beat Türkiye 4-1 in Bursa and drew 1-1 away to France before this match, while Türkiye arrive having lost all three of their Group A matches, scoring one goal and conceding eight. Kenan Yildiz and Hakan Calhanoglu are absent through injury.

Barella's numbers fit the same story. He has 72 Italy caps and 10 goals for his country, and he has already made 2 Nations League appearances this season. In Paris he played 28 minutes, which underlines that his role has been handled differently without turning the issue into a bigger drama than it is.

The main thing to watch in Bologna is whether Italy carry over the personality Barella talked about, and whether that opens the door for him to play a bigger part again. He has said he is ready for 20 minutes, 30 or 15 if needed, and Monday's meeting with Türkiye will show how much Mancini wants to lean on him from the start.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →