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Davide Frattesi needed to feel important again. This summer, he decided the time had come for a new challenge, one that would allow him to rediscover the central role he had gradually lost at Inter. With all roads leading to Rome, he returned to the city where he was born and raised as a footballer, choosing Lazio for the next chapter of his career. He could hardly have made a better start. Frattesi has scored three goals in his first three appearances, while Lazio sit top of the table after five matchdays alongside Roma and Inter, the club where he made his name and became one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe. “I experienced emotions during my three years at Inter that are impossible to replicate,” he said at a press conference. “The first year went smoothly, then there were two seasons of ups and downs, with some very low points and some incredible highs. The truth is, you can only really feel happy somewhere if you’re playing. “Now I’m really happy because I’m enjoying my football again, and that was something I had lost last season at Inter. You go through different spells, but I’m pleased to have rediscovered that feeling you have as a kid, when you simply love playing. When a club puts its faith in you, you hit the ground running. I’m delighted with the way I’ve started and very happy to be here.”
BIRTHDAY WISH. Frattesi celebrated his 27th birthday with his teammates and staff at Coverciano yesterday, and on Friday he will hope to make it a week to remember with a special night at the Olimpico, a stadium he knows well from his years there both as a supporter and a ball boy. “It’s always special to be back at the Olimpico and to play in front of family and friends. Belgium have changed coach, so we’re not quite sure what to expect, although we’ve watched some of Van Bommel’s games with Antwerp. It will be an open, difficult match, but we’re really looking forward to it.”
FROM MANCINI TO MANCINI. Roberto Mancini was the first Italy coach to call Frattesi up, bringing him into the squad in January 2022, whilst he was still at Sassuolo. Four years on, Davide is now sixth among the current group for appearances, with 34 caps, and fourth on the scoring chart with eight goals.
From promising youngster to a player, the next generation can look up to, the transition has been a natural one. “It’s a new group, with a lot of talented young players who I think can really help us. Mancini is just as we remembered him, and I’m pleased to have him back, just as I’m happy with the group as a whole.
“We can’t just think about next week. We have to look further ahead. We’ll make mistakes, but the important thing is to build an understanding together, because when the big games come, those mistakes will help us be ready.”
Among the younger players, Inacio has impressed him “he has quality and personality”, while Romano reminds him of Nemanja Matic. “I had a flashback yesterday because there’s something in the way he moves that just reminds me of him. He’s a good lad, very grounded.”
THE PAIN OF ZENICA. Frattesi came on in the closing stages of last March’s match against Bosnia, and five months on, the disappointment of missing out on the World Cup is still raw. At Lazio, he has been reunited with former Italy coach Gattuso, but the night in Zenica remains a subject neither of them is ready to revisit. “I didn’t watch a single game at the World Cup, not even the final. I could score 20 goals and the wound would still be there. It’s still painful and it will take time to heal. We never talk about it. We only talk about Lazio because it’s something that weighs heavily on both of us. I joined Lazio because I wanted to come back and because he was there. He played a huge part in my decision.”
A MATTER OF PACE. Italy still have ground to make up on the world’s leading national teams, and Frattesi believes the main difference is physical rather than technical or tactical. “On paper, there is a gap, especially in terms of intensity. Right now, the others are playing at a higher tempo than us. That’s the reality.” Frattesi himself, though, feels he is getting back to peak condition. “I’m starting to feel good over the full 90 minutes and I’m ready for these games. Now that I’m playing regularly again, I want to do everything at once, but that’s part of the process.”
MALAGÒ VISITS COVERCIANO. Giovanni Malagò arrived at Coverciano shortly before midday for his first visit to the Federal Technical Centre since being elected FIGC president. He was welcomed by Italy head of delegation Diana Bianchedi and Club Italia technical director and president Claudio Ranieri, before meeting head coach Roberto Mancini, his staff and the players to wish them well ahead of their opening UEFA Nations League group fixtures.
THE 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), Daniele Ghilardi (Roma), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Eddy Kouadio (Monza), Gianluca Mancini (Roma), Matteo Ruggeri (Aston Villa), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Issa Doumbia (Sporting CP), Nicolò Fagioli (Fiorentina), Davide Frattesi (Lazio), Rolando Mandragora (Torino), Samuele Ricci (Como), Alessandro Romano (Cagliari), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham);
Forwards: Nicolò Cambiaghi (Bologna), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Sebastiano Esposito (Sassuolo), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Moise Kean (Como), Daniel Maldini (Cagliari), Giacomo Raspadori (Atalanta), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Nicolò Zaniolo (Udinese), Mohamed Alì Zoma (Norimberga).
Italy National Team media activities schedule – September-October 2026 training camp and matches
