“Türkiye are an excellent side, it will be a great game” Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini
Italy’s Head Coach Roberto Mancini and midfielder Sandro Tonali held a press conference on Sunday, 27 September 2026. The Italian national team is gearing up for an exciting clash against Vincenzo Montella’s Turkish squad tomorrow night at the Atatürk Spor Kompleksi (8:45 PM Italian time, broadcast live on Rai 1, with England’s Oliver officiating the match).
The game brings Mancini and ‘L’Aeroplanino’ together again, as they once made an incredible striking duo at Sampdoria. When playing under Sven-Goran Eriksson, these two talented forwards combined to score an impressive 37 goals throughout the 1996/97 season.
The pressure is high for the Azzurri. Mancini addressed the media, asking supporters to show patience and understanding while Italy worked through a challenging period following their 2-0 defeat to Belgium in their opening match.
In an interesting tactical move, Mancini plans to make several changes to Italy’s lineup for the Turkey clash, explaining: ‘It’s not feasible to rely on the same player across four matches played in such quick succession’. Ten squad members have remained in Italy to continue their preparation at the Coverciano training facility.
Mancini reflected on the squad’s composition, pointing out that today’s Italy team doesn’t have the caliber of superstars from previous championship-winning generations, such as the legendary Francesco Totti and Alessandro Del Piero. He stressed that the national team is currently going through a clear rebuilding phase.
After defeat to Belgium, Italy return to action tomorrow evening looking to pick up their first points in the group. Mancini comes up against ‘L’Aeroplanino’ once again, the man with whom he formed a prolific strike partnership at Sampdoria. Tonali: “We need to let the younger players play with freedom so they can develop. We’re a strong side and our quality will come through.”
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Mancini highlighted that “Montella has done, and continues to do, an excellent job. Türkiye did not deserve to go out in the group stage of the World Cup. They’re an excellent side with a wealth of talented players. I think tomorrow will be a great game.”
After a disappointing first half against Belgium, the Azzurri improved after the break, only to concede a second goal just as they appeared close to finding an equaliser. “Belgium were top of the rankings for many years. They made things difficult for us in the first half, but we need to take the positives from our second-half performance and build on them. There’s too much anxiety around at the moment, but we have to stay calm. We simply need time to work and to develop into a competitive team. Criticism comes with the territory and, in football as in any sport, results are the surest way to change the narrative. “It’s up to us. If we can play well and win, then things will change, because ultimately these situations are always influenced by results.”
ITALY CHANGES EXPECTED.
Mancini will welcome Bastoni back after his suspension against Belgium and is set to make changes from the side that started in Rome. With four matches packed into a short period, the coach also opted not to take the entire squad on the demanding trip to Türkiye, instead arranging a tailored training programme at the CTF in Coverciano for ten players: Ahanor, Barella, Coppola, Inacio, Kouadio, Maldini, Mancini, Pessina, Ricci and Zoma. Nicolò Zaniolo, meanwhile, has returned home after being ruled out of the next three matches. “There will be some changes, because it’s impossible to play four games in such a short space of time. It’s also important to see how the younger players cope in demanding matches.”
SANDRO TONALI SPEAKS LIKE A LEADER.
After getting his start in the match against Belgium, Sandro Tonali is all set to take the field once more as Italy aims to recover from their loss to the Red Devils. “I feel good. I’ve recovered 100%.”
Tonali also stressed the importance of allowing the younger players to develop without placing too much responsibility on their shoulders. “We didn’t play well on Friday and we deserved to lose. Every defeat hurts, but you have to stay positive. It’s up to us more experienced players to shoulder the difficult moments and allow the younger ones to play with freedom and to grow.”
Optimism and composure will be key as Italy look to return to winning ways and climb back towards where they want to be. “This is a very healthy, very young group, and you can’t expect everything straight away. We don’t have that one star who can change a game in ten seconds, so we have to work and take things step by step. “We still have plenty of matches to play together and we need to keep working to become even more of a team. We’re strong players and, little by little, our quality will come through.”
Photos courtesy figc.it
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