Roberto Mancini's Bold First Italy Squad Selection
Roberto Mancini’s first Italy squad has arrived with a jolt rather than a gentle introduction. Daniel Maldini is in, despite the off-field storm around him. Rolando Mandragora is back from the international wilderness after more than five years. Marco Palestra, the Chelsea prospect many expected to see, has been left at home.
This is not a cautious first list. It’s a statement.
A demanding Nations League schedule
The Azzurri face a heavy Nations League programme in this international window. They open against Belgium on September 25, then meet Turkiye three days later on September 28. France await on October 2, before a second clash with the Turkish side on October 5.
The group then pauses and resumes in November, with Italy hosting France on November 12 and travelling to Belgium on November 15 to complete the schedule. For a new coach, it is a sharp, unforgiving introduction.
Mancini has responded by calling up nine new faces and sprinkling his squad with bold decisions that will be debated all week.
Maldini in despite controversy
The most eye-catching name is Daniel Maldini. Not because of his surname, but because of the headlines that have followed him in recent weeks.
There were serious doubts he would be selected after a car accident in which his driving licence was suspended for testing narrowly over the alcohol limit. That alone put his name under scrutiny. Reports then surfaced claiming he had also failed a drugs test. Those were later confirmed to be inaccurate, with all toxicology tests coming back negative.
Cagliari have backed him throughout and insist he will start their next Serie A match this weekend. Mancini has now gone a step further, bringing him into his first Italy squad and turning a disciplinary talking point into a footballing one.
Palestra left out
On the other side of the ledger is Marco Palestra. The Chelsea man had been tipped to miss out, and so it proved.
Injured during pre-season and still waiting for his competitive debut for the Premier League club, he was never likely to convince on current rhythm alone. The decision underlines how unforgiving this level can be: reputation and potential are not enough without minutes.
Familiar faces return
There is also a sense of restoration in this squad. Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo are back after almost a year away from the national team picture, neither having been included since October 2024.
Fagioli, now at Fiorentina, already has seven senior caps and returns as a player expected to contribute immediately in midfield. Zaniolo’s relationship with Mancini runs even deeper. The coach famously handed him his first Italy call-up before the attacking midfielder had made a single Serie A appearance.
Zaniolo now sits on 19 caps. His most recent came in March 2024 in a friendly against Ecuador, while his last competitive outing for Italy dates back to November 2023 against Ukraine. His recall hints at Mancini’s willingness to trust players he believes can change a match, even if their recent international history is fragmented.
Mandragora’s long road back
Then there is Rolando Mandragora, perhaps the most remarkable name on the list.
The new Torino midfielder returns to the Azzurri set-up for the first time since March 2021, ending a gap of more than five years between call-ups. His international story to date has been painfully brief: one senior cap, earned in June 2018 in a 3-1 friendly defeat to France.
Now 29, he finds the door open again at a moment when many players accept that chance has passed. Mancini clearly sees value in his experience and profile, and Mandragora arrives with the rare motivation of a player who knows exactly how hard it is to get back here.
Nine new faces, big recalls, and a handful of hard calls. Mancini has wasted no time reshaping Italy. The question now is simple: will this mix of redemption stories and fresh blood withstand the intensity of Belgium and France, or will the Nations League expose just how daring this first squad really is?
