Roberto Mancini has named a 34-man Italy squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures featuring nine new faces and several notable recalls, according to official squad announcements. The 61-year-old manager, who returned to the Azzurri bench at the end of July on a contract running until 2030, is reshaping the national team pool ahead of a busy two-week international break.
During the upcoming stretch, Italy will face Vincenzo Montella’s Türkiye twice alongside away fixtures against Belgium and France. The opening match of Mancini’s second stint as head coach takes place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome against Belgium on Friday, September 25, followed by a trip to play Türkiye on September 28. In October, the Azzurri visit Zinedine Zidane’s France on October 2 before hosting Türkiye at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna on October 5.
New Faces and Fresh Talent
The squad list features nine uncapped players earning their first senior senior national team call-ups. According to football-italia.net, the fresh additions include Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina, Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi, Brentford full-back Michael Kayode, Monza defender Eddy Kouadio, and Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano. They are joined by Sporting midfielder Issa Doumbia, Sassuolo striker Sebastiano Esposito, Napoli forward Antonio Vergara, and Nürnberg forward Mohamed Ali Zoma.
Mancini has also retained Honest Ahanor, who recently transferred to Crystal Palace via Atalanta and Chelsea, alongside Borussia Dortmund prospect Samuele Inacio following their involvement in June friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.
Notable Recalls and Exclusions
Alongside the rising prospects, Mancini brought back several players who had been absent from the national setup for extended periods. Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo return to the squad after last featuring for Italy in October 2024. Meanwhile, Rolando Mandragora earned his first senior call-up since March 2021.
Chelsea player Marco Palestra was omitted from the selection as expected, having missed out due to an injury that has kept him sidelined so far this season. The squad is scheduled to assemble for its opening training session at the Coverciano technical center on Monday, September 21.
Full Italy Nations League Squad
Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Massimo Pessina (Bologna), Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus)
Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Crystal Palace), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Diego Coppola (Paris FC), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Daniele Ghilardi (Roma), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta)
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