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After a packed September/October international window, which saw Italy play four games in the space of eleven days, the National Team are preparing to round off their 2026 campaign with their final two Nations League group fixtures. The Azzurri met up at Coverciano yesterday evening, and Roberto Mancini will lead their first training session this afternoon ahead of Thursday’s clash with France. The aim is to build on the positive signs shown a month ago and make further progress in their playing style, despite the limited time available to the Head Coach.
“What I like most is that a group of young players is starting to take shape, also thanks to the help of the more experienced members of the squad,” Mancini said at his customary press conference at the start of the camp. “Despite their age, they have put in some good performances, and I think a good understanding is developing between them.” That growing connection is also reflected in the response from the fans, with the Meazza sold out for the game against France. “We are pleased to see the enthusiasm returning, but we still need to raise the bar.”
AIMING FOR THE QUARTER-FINALS. Having secured third place in the group, which guarantees Italy a seeded position in the draw for the European qualifiers, scheduled to take place in Belfast on 6 December, the Azzurri are now looking to pick up more points and secure their place in League A. The two best third-placed teams avoid the need for a play-off. Italy also have their sights set on finishing in the top two and booking a place in the quarter-finals. A win over France may not be enough if Türkiye fail to beat Belgium on Thursday. However, victory over Mbappé and his team-mates would mean Italy could travel to Brussels on Sunday knowing that a draw would also be enough. Beating the Red Devils, regardless of Thursday’s result against France, would guarantee Italy’s place in the quarter-finals. “Given how things have developed over these four games, we have a chance to qualify and we will give it a go,” the Head Coach confirmed. “It is also clear that there is still a long way to go and plenty of work to do.”
A YOUTHFUL APPROACH. The doors at Coverciano are always open to young players. Mancini has retained six of the nine new faces introduced in September (Ghilardi, Kayode, Romano, Doumbia, Sebastiano Esposito and Vergara), recalled Ahanor and promoted Pisilli and Koleosho from the Under-21 squad. “I have an excellent relationship with Baldini, and hopefully he can win the European Championship,” he said. He has also handed first senior call-ups to two promising talents from Fabregas’ Como side: 2007-born Mattia Liberali and 2009-born Riccardo Cassano. AC Milan striker Alphadjo Cisse (born in 2006) was another expected addition after scoring his fifth Serie A goal yesterday, making him the Rossoneri’s leading scorer. The other new faces are Udinese defender Matteo Palma and Parma player Simone Lontani, both born in 2008. Asked whether Serie A is helping by giving more opportunities to young players, the Head Coach replied: “I don’t think so. The situation is more or less the same. Some teams give them opportunities, others don’t. We have a duty to look for young players and call them up so we can get to know them first-hand. We also bring in players who are a little younger, provided they have good technical qualities, so we can assess them. We believe they could become good players in a short space of time.”
Palma, Liberali and Cisse will remain with the senior squad throughout the camp, while Cassano and Lontani will train at Coverciano over the coming days before joining the Under-18 and Under-19 teams respectively. Those sides are preparing for the World Cup, which begins in Qatar on 19 November, and the second phase of European Championship qualifying, taking place in the Marche region from 11 to 17 November. Mancini has brought the two players in to get to know them better and see them at close quarters, underlining his commitment to building for both the present and the future of the National Team.
“All the young players here have impressed us and given us positive signs. Liberali is a very good player with great quality. He has made only a few Serie A appearances, but he did very well at youth level. I saw Lontani in the opening game of the season and he made a good impression. He has improved with every game. He has personality and technical quality, as he showed with his goal against Atalanta. Palma was caught between Italy and Germany, and I think he could become a very good defender. Cisse can play in either attacking role, and I’m looking forward to seeing him over the next few days. As for Cassano, he could be the kind of player we are currently missing. He is a deep-lying midfielder and plays for a team where they play football and think in the same way. He needs to develop physically, but he has a good understanding of the game and could become an important player for the future of the National Team.” The absence of several European champions, including Bernardeschi, Chiesa and Cristante, is also part of the plan to rejuvenate the squad. However, the door remains open for all three. “We know Bernardeschi and Cristante, so there is no need to try them out. We will call them when we need them. I have spoken to Chiesa several times, including recently. He is not playing at the moment and needs to regain his fitness, but he is 29 and I believe he can return to the squad very soon.” Giacomo Calò is also 29 and has been catching the eye with Massimiliano Alvini’s Frosinone side. “He is one of several players who are doing well at the moment and whom we are keeping an eye on. Frosinone have three or four good players. But at this stage, we cannot call up players aged 29 or 30. We will do so when the time comes, but not because agents tell us to.”
Following Palma, another young player who will soon have to choose between Italy and Germany is Nicolò Tresoldi. “I have spoken to him, as has Ranieri. He needs to feel that he wants to play for Italy. But given that he was born in Italy and his father played for Italy (he won the European Under-21 Championship, ed.), I think there could be a possibility. Ultimately, it is the player who has to make the decision. He knows that we believe he could be important for us.”
The Head Coach also found it difficult to comment on the tragic death of Spanish footballer Jesús de Miguel Alameda. “It is difficult to find the words. A 30-year-old player lost his life while doing the thing he loved most. It was a terrible tragedy that has affected us all.”
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THE SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Guglielmo Vicario (Juventus);
Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Crystal Palace), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Daniele Ghilardi (Roma), Michael Kayode (Brentford), Marco Palestra (Chelsea), Matteo Palma (Udinese), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta);
Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Riccardo Cassano (Como), Issa Doumbia (Sporting CP), Nicolò Fagioli (Fiorentina), Davide Frattesi (Lazio), Simone Lontani (Parma), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Como), Alessandro Romano (Cagliari), Sandro Tonali (Tottenham);
Forwards: Nicolò Cambiaghi (Bologna), Alphadjo Cisse (AC Milan), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Sebastiano Esposito (Sassuolo), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC), Mattia Liberali (Como), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Antonio Vergara (Napoli), Nicolò Zaniolo (Udinese).