Mancini’s right about building a young core for Italy’s future, and the Türkiye win showed just that

Ahead of his side’s Nations League game against Türkiye in Bursa, Italy head coach Roberto Mancini had explained his decision to leave ten players from his squad back in Coverciano, specifying not just the need to spare them an arduous travel but also to familiarise himself to the young players in his contingent.

Quote sourced from La Gazzetta dello Sport

And the decision paid off. Gli Azzurri followed up their 2–0 home defeat against Belgium with a resounding 4–1 victory over Türkiye, with young Michael Kayode and Pio Esposito shining brightest with their goals.

Mancini has always understood the need to have a young core in the national team setup, and it’s about time those at Coverciano understand it as well. Italy tried punctuating their decline with a quick-fix World Cup qualification, hoping participating in the flagship event would help move the trajectory upwards, only to have missed out three times in a row.

Now, in the lowest of places, Italy are more open than ever to a cultural reset they have badly needed, and this is as ideal a chance they can have. Nations League offer competitive yet comparatively low-stakes football; a relegation would not destroy a them outright, but it would give the young players some much-needed experience and opportunity to come together as a unit.

The Euros are two years away. Prepare now, and Italy will have set themselves up for a respectable outing in two years’ time, which could then prove to be the foundation to at least return to the World Cup in 2030, with a home Euros waiting for them two more years down the line.

Mancini understands this. He understands that preparations begin now, and he believes he’s already seeing positive signs even if the result is not there.

Next, Italy face France in Saint-Denis on Friday before hosting Türkiye at the Renato Dall’Ara on Monday night to conclude the international break.

Anshuman Joshi | GIFN