Sept 18 - Roberto Mancini has launched his second tenure as Italy head coach with a sweeping rebuild, naming an expanded 34-man roster on Friday for their Nations League games as the team try to rebound from missing out on the 2026 World Cup.
Mancini returned to the bench following a chaotic summer for the Italian federation, taking over after Gennaro Gattuso left and a brief, fraught attempt to appoint Andrea Pirlo collapsed amid a fierce backlash over Pirlo's commercial ties to a Russian betting company.
Among nine players receiving their first senior international call-ups are Brentford fullback Michael Kayode, Monza defender Eddie Kwaidoo, Borussia Dortmund's Samuele Inacio and winger Mohamed Ali Zoma who plays for second-tier Bundesliga side 1. FC Nurnberg.
In a move highlighting Mancini’s intention to reform the squad's core, several high-profile figures were omitted, most notably Mateo Retegui. The Argentine-born striker, who proved pivotal during Mancini's previous reign, was left out despite a strong start to the season in Saudi Arabia, where he has scored four goals in seven league matches.
Cagliari's Daniel Maldini was called up, just days after his driving licence was suspended following a car crash in Milan where he was found to be over the legal alcohol limit.
{{/usCountry}}Cagliari's Daniel Maldini was called up, just days after his driving licence was suspended following a car crash in Milan where he was found to be over the legal alcohol limit.
{{/usCountry}}Italy begin their campaign on September 25 when they face Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, followed by games against Turkey and France.
Italy squad:
Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi , Gianluigi Donnarumma , Massimo Pessina , Guglielmo Vicario
Defenders: Honest Ahanor , Alessandro Bastoni , Riccardo Calafiori , Diego Coppola , Giovanni Di Lorenzo , Federico Dimarco , Daniele Ghilardi , Michael Kayode , Eddy Kouadio , Gianluca Mancini , Giorgio Scalvini
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella , Bryan Cristante , Issa Doumbia , Nicolo Fagioli , Davide Frattesi , Rolando Mandragora , Alessandro Romano , Sandro Tonali
Forwards: Nicolo Cambiaghi , Francesco Esposito , Sebastiano Esposito , Samuele Inacio , Moise Kean , Daniel Maldini , Giacomo Raspadori , Gianluca Scamacca , Antonio Vergara , Nicolo Zaniolo , Mohamed Ali Zoma
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