Giving young players a chance to contribute to their growth and ensure a better future for the National Team and Italian football in general. This is a concept that was frequently spoken about by Roberto Mancini today while taking part in SportLab, a virtual event dedicated to the future of the sports industry to celebrate the 75th anniversaries of Corriere dello Sport and Tuttosport: “I began to play in Serie A at the age of 16,” remembered the Head Coach. “It’s something that has stayed with me. As a coach in club football, I gave numerous young players their debuts, from Fiorentina through to my time at Zenit. It’s something I’ve always done: you need to show confidence in youngsters. When I took charge of the National Team, there was a need to do something different, including trusting those who weren’t playing for their club sides but who we thought could be the future of Italian football. However, we also needed experienced players capable of lending a hand, so we’re proud to have put together a group with a strong rapport that plays well together.”

Now unbeaten in 19 games (14 wins and five draws), and having qualified for the European Championship with maximum points, Italy will be aiming to secure a first-place finish in their UEFA Nations League group, a position which would see the Azzurri qualify for the Final Four of the competition. Should they win their last two matches against Poland and Bosnia & Herzegovina, which will take place in Reggio Emilia on 15 November and Sarajevo on 18 November respectively, they’re guaranteed to finish top of Group A1.

“The primary object is to finish first in our Nations League group,” continued Mancini. “I’m sure that opportunities will come along at the European Championship, but you also need a bit of luck. The teams I’m most fearful of are France, who have excellent young players, and Spain, who are getting back to a very high standard.”

The Head Coach, who is hoping that the current pandemic can be overcome sooner rather than later (“I hope that football returns to normality soon because it can’t go on like this”), is looking ahead to the European Championship, during which Italy won’t just have a single number nine: “Immobile and Belotti need to remain calm: when I played, the Head Coach was able to choose between six forwards, whereas I’m limited to two. Our centre-forward options for the European Championship are already set in stone, unless the new Schillaci comes along at the last moment. We’ll alternate them because we’ll be playing three matches in ten days following a strenuous season. Luckily, Ciro and Gallo are friends, and we shouldn’t forget about Caputo and Lasagna. They’re all great lads and this certainly helps. It’s because of the willingness they’ve shown that we’ve been able to do what we’ve done. They have an excellent rapport.”

Mancini is also hoping that he’ll have Nicolò Zaniolo at his disposal for the Euros: “He has time to recover, I believe he’ll be able to do so by March and that he’ll be ready.” The Head Coach also commented on Mario Balotelli: “At 30 years old, he should be at the height of his career from a technical and footballing standpoint. I find it disappointing that he’s struggling to find a team, because the quality he possesses would also be useful for the National Team. He’s a great guy and I hope that something positive comes along for him soon.”