Italy's Bold Squad Selection for Nations League

Roberto Mancini has never been afraid of a bold call. His latest Italy squad proves it again.

The Azzurri coach has named a group packed with new faces, surprise recalls and one high-profile omission, as Italy prepare for a demanding Nations League run: Belgium on September 25, Turkiye on September 28, France on October 2, a second meeting with Turkiye on October 5, then France again on November 12 and a closing trip to Belgium on November 15.

Maldini in, Palestra out

The headline decision revolves around Daniel Maldini. Many expected Mancini to sidestep the controversy surrounding the forward after his recent car accident, which led to his licence being suspended for testing narrowly over the alcohol limit.

He is in. And very much part of the plan.

The build-up had been clouded by reports that Maldini had also failed a drugs test. Those stories were later confirmed to be inaccurate, with all toxicology tests coming back negative. Cagliari have stood firmly behind him, insisting he will start their next Serie A match this weekend, and Mancini has followed suit by backing his talent on the international stage.

On the opposite side of the selection line stands Marco Palestra. The Chelsea man had been widely tipped to miss out and so it proved. Still waiting for his competitive debut with the Premier League club after picking up an injury in pre-season, he finds himself watching this international window from a distance, a reminder that reputation alone does not guarantee a place.

Old faces, new chapter

Mancini has called up nine new players, but the most intriguing names are not debutants. They are the ones coming back from the cold.

Nicolò Fagioli and Nicolò Zaniolo both return after being frozen out of Italy squads since October 2024. Their careers have followed different paths, yet both carry the sense of unfinished business with the national team.

Fagioli, now at Fiorentina, has seven senior caps and has long been viewed as a midfielder with the vision to dictate games at this level. His absence felt more like a pause than an ending; this call-up suggests Mancini agrees.

Zaniolo’s story with Italy is even more entwined with Mancini. The coach famously handed him his first senior call-up before the attacking midfielder had made a single Serie A appearance, a clear statement of faith in his potential. Zaniolo now sits on 19 caps, the latest coming in a friendly against Ecuador in March 2024. His last competitive outing, though, dates back to November 2023 against Ukraine. The gap since then has been filled with injuries, form swings and questions. Now comes the chance to answer them.

Mandragora’s long road back

If Fagioli and Zaniolo represent a restart, Rolando Mandragora’s recall borders on the improbable.

The Torino midfielder returns to the Italy squad for the first time since March 2021, ending a wait of more than five years between call-ups. He has just one senior cap to his name, earned in June 2018 in a 3-1 friendly defeat to France, and for a long time that appearance looked destined to remain a lonely footnote.

Yet here he is again at 29, back in the national conversation. It is a reward for persistence as much as performance, a nod from Mancini that careers do not always follow straight lines.

A squad with edges

This is not a cautious list built to keep everyone happy. It is a squad with edges: a controversial inclusion in Maldini, a high-profile omission in Palestra, rehabilitated talents in Fagioli and Zaniolo, and a redemption arc in Mandragora.

Italy now walk into a Nations League schedule that offers little room to hide. Belgium and France will expose any weakness. Turkiye will test focus and depth across two meetings in quick succession.

Mancini has made his choices. Over the next two months, the question is simple: will this blend of risk, loyalty and second chances be enough to push the Azzurri back towards the level they demand of themselves?