The Italian national football team kicked off their training camp at Coverciano under head coach Roberto Mancini on Monday, 21 September 2026. Mancini is optimistic about embarking on his second stint leading the Azzurri. The squad is gearing up for their upcoming UEFA Nations League matches, starting with Friday’s clash against Belgium on September 25 in Rome.
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Morning session
Roberto Mancini held his official press conference. Here are the key takeaways from the head coach:
Objectives: “I’m here to win, and we’ll achieve some wonderful results. We want to bring the national team back to where it belongs.” Young Players: He emphasized calling up many fresh faces and young talents to get to know them better and build a strong foundation for the future squad.
About the 4 UEFA Nations League games: “We have to try to win them, also to climb back up the rankings. We don’t know how much time we’ll need, but we have to be quick in assessing the players we have and understanding what they can give us in the future. We’re open to any solution. We can play with two strikers, with a 4-3-3, but also in other ways.”
Regarding the FIGC/Malagò Situation: He reassured everyone that the team should focus solely on training hard and securing a win in the challenging match against Belgium.
Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini’s Press Conference on Monday, 20 September 2026
Afternoon Session.
The first training session took place on the Coverciano pitch this afternoon. Early tactical insights showed: Base Formation: Mancini immediately set up a 4-3-3 system. He tested players in dual and triple roles. Mancini experimented with various combinations and different setups (such as Riccardo Calafiori being tried as a fullback).
The squad dealt with some absences due to injuries from the recent league matches, forcing the head coach to adjust his roster. For instance, Inter defender Federico Dimarco had to leave the camp due to injury. In his place, Mancini called up Aston Villa defender Matteo Ruggeri. Roma midfielder Bryan Cristante also couldn’t answer Mancini’s call, so the coach brought in Como midfielder Samuele Ricci instead.
ITALY’S UPCOMING MATCHES UNDER MANCINI
September 25, 2026 – 8:45 PM: Italy vs. Belgium (Rome)
September 28, 2026 – 8:45 PM: Turkey vs. Italy (Bursa)
October 2, 2026 – 8:45 PM: France vs. Italy
October 5, 2026 – 20:45: Italy vs Turkey (Bologna)
Day 1 done 👊✅#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/MY4fye3evw
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 21, 2026
Welcome, lads 🤝💙#Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/YiCl1loVow
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri_En) September 21, 2026
Via x.com/Azzurri_En
Matteo Ruggeri replaced injured Federico Dimarco
Samuele Ricci replacing Bryan Cristante
