Mancini hopes Italy will go further in the UEFA Nations League and believes victory is the best solution.

The 2026/27 UEFA Nations League Group A matches will kick off, with Italy hosting Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. At a press conference, Mancini stated his hope that Italy can go far in the competition and believes that victory is the best remedy for the team's problems.

In the final of the European qualifying play-offs for the 2026 World Cup, Italy lost 1-4 to Bosnia and Herzegovina after a penalty shootout, failing to qualify for the World Cup finals for the third consecutive time. And in July, 61-year-old Mancini became Italy's head coach again.

Mancini stated, "We need to perform well from the start, which is certainly not easy because we only have two days to prepare for this match. That's the nature of international competitions; we must prepare quickly and get results. Victory is the only cure for the problems currently plaguing us. We hope to reach the UEFA Nations League semi-finals. This group is very strong, so it will definitely not be easy, but we will strive for it."

"I can't wait to hear the national anthem. There are many experienced players in this team, so they will naturally be under pressure, but it is positive pressure because playing football is what they love, and they need to enjoy the game."

Regarding the lineup selection, Mancini said, "We are very close to finalizing the starting lineup, but there are still two positions in doubt. Cambiaghi can play on the right or left, as can Kean and Zaniolo."

“Tonali had a minor physical issue when he first joined the team, but he hasn’t had any problems since, so he should be fine. Every player has their own characteristics, and our midfield is very different from Jorginho and Marco Verratti.”

In addition, midfielder Alessandro Romano, who previously played for the Swiss U21 team, has now chosen to represent the Italian national team.

Speaking about the young player, Mancini said, "I don't know much about him, but I'm very impressed with his performance. We believe he can become a very important member of Italy in the future. He has great vision, is good at one-touch passing, and Ranieri coached him at Roma, which is also important."

"It's normal for young players to make mistakes early in their careers, so the important thing is to help and trust them, and making mistakes is how they grow and learn."

Image source: Internet