Mancini's New Italy: A Renewal Sparked by Baldini

It took Silvio Baldini's interim tenure and the momentum he created with the national team in June for Roberto Mancini's second stint to begin with courage and renewal. Three months ago, during victories in Luxembourg and Greece, Baldini introduced 15 debutants to the Azzurri.

Baldini would have continued this work with the senior team if not for his outspoken stance against the Italian football establishment. He publicly criticized: 'Our football is run by directors who prioritize their own interests over the growth of the game. They focus on market deals with older players, not youth, because it serves their own ends. I've always said this. I enjoy calling them scoundrels, and often these individuals pull the strings.' As we know, that led to federal turmoil, with the choice eventually falling back to the 2021 European champion. Not coincidentally, Mancini announced his squad for the Nations League matches with a poster of the Wembley triumph behind him.

Nine of the 34 players called up by Mancini for the four Nations League games are receiving their first call-up to the senior squad: Pessina, Ghilardi, Kayode, Kouadio, Romano, Doumbia, Sebastiano Esposito, Vergara, and Zoma. If Baldini's U21 team hadn't been competing for direct qualification to the 2027 European Championship on October 5th in Pescara, it's likely that Pisilli, Favasuli, and Koleosho would also have been included in the larger senior group. Among the defenders are Ahanor, 18 years old with two appearances, thanks to Baldini; and Kayode, with 10 appearances for the U21s. In midfield, there's Doumbia, with three U21 caps. In attack, Inacio is another of the fifteen debutants introduced by Baldini.

Having missed the World Cup for twelve years and now on their fifth coach in five years (Mancini, Spalletti, Gattuso, Baldini, Mancini), dropping to fifteenth in the FIFA rankings, the Azzurri face a demanding schedule. In ten days, they must play Van Bommel's Belgium (September 25th in Rome), Montella's Turkey (Bursa, September 28th), Zidane's France (Paris, October 2nd), and then Turkey again (Bologna, October 5th). This requires immense courage, determination, and pride to avoid further decline after hitting rock bottom in the spring. The courage to make innovative choices from the outset is evident, which is a positive sign considering the challenging period ahead for Italy. Play, determination, and pride must be demonstrated on the field. It's understood that if anyone at Coverciano complains of the 'minor aches and pains' that Spalletti once reported, they will not be allowed back into the national team.