Mancini: Italy's lack of fluidity against Turkiye was 'predictable' after 9 changes
Quick summary
Italy head coach Roberto Mancini acknowledged that his decision to make nine changes to the starting XI against Turkiye predictably cost his side fluidity in a recent international match.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceRoberto Mancini ‘expected Italy to lose some fluidity’ after nine changes in the 3-1 victory over Turkiye, but has high hopes for Alessandro Romano.
The coach said that the biggest mistake would be underestimating Turkiye, and that proved a fair warning, because Vincenzo Montella’s side had the better of the first half.
After a couple of Gianluigi Donnarumma saves and a lot of Turkish possession, Gianluca Scamacca opened the scoring after a lucky ricochet and volleyed in from eight yards.
Indeed, it was no surprise when Aral Simsir scored a deserved equaliser, but Riccardo Calafiori’s first goal for his country and Pio Esposito’s final tap-in secured a 3-1 victory.
Mancini expected Italy struggles BOLOGNA – OCTOBER 05: Roberto Mancini, Manager of Italy, during the national anthem before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Türkiye at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2026 in Bologna. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) “Despite the changes, naturally there was also fatigue. We suffered at the start, but the lads did well to get it back on track, score again after the 1-1, so it was a good game as the fourth in such a short spell of time,” Mancini told RAI Sport.
There were nine changes to the starting XI that played in Paris, so that inevitably affected the performance in Bologna.
BOLOGNA – OCTOBER 05: Salih Ozcan of Turkiye runs with the ball under pressure from Issa Doumbia of Italy during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Türkiye at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2026 in Bologna. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) “The only certainty was that we would lose some of that fluidity, it was fully expected and predicted. We also had two players on yellow cards and the referee seemed inclined to book them again, so I took them off.”
Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano returned to the side and was used at times as a mezz’ala rather than a play-maker.
“Romano can take that role easily, he needs to play these games to keep on improving.”
BOLOGNA – OCTOBER 05: Italy players line up during the national anthem before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Türkiye at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2026 in Bologna. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Italy end this run of four Nations League matches in 11 days with definite improvements from the opening 2-0 defeat to Belgium, beating Turkiye 4-1 in Bursa, drawing 1-1 in France, and then this evening’s result at the Stadio Dall’Ara in Bologna.
BOLOGNA – OCTOBER 05: Roberto Mancini, Manager of Italy, speaks to Gianluca Mancini of Italy during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Türkiye at Renato Dall’Ara Stadium on October 05, 2026 in Bologna. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) The Nazionale come back together for the final two Group A games next month, hosting France on November 12 and then visiting Belgium on November 15.
“We’ve got to continue like this, we’ll probably have to play for our spot in Belgium.”
Italy are now second in Group A on seven points, behind France with 10, but above Belgium on six.
Group A1
Rank
Teams
Played
Won
Drawn
Lost
Goal difference
Points
1
France
4
3
1
0
5
10
2
Italy
4
2
1
1
3
7
3
Belgium
4
2
0
2
1
6
4
Turkey
4
0
0
4
-9
0
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What happened
Roberto Mancini has admitted that Italy's lack of cohesion in their recent fixture against Turkiye was a foreseeable consequence of rotating his squad heavily. The Azzurri boss made nine alterations to his starting lineup, and the disruption was evident in Italy's performance. Mancini framed the changes as a necessary experiment but accepted that rhythm and understanding suffered as a result. The comments highlight the ongoing balancing act between squad evaluation and competitive sharpness as Italy continue their preparations.
Chance analysis
Mancini's candid admission is a reminder of how much a national team relies on a settled spine. With nine changes from his preferred XI, Italy looked disjointed, and the manager didn't pretend otherwise. It's the kind of honest post-match assessment that gives a clear window into his thinking heading into more meaningful fixtures — the next time he names a lineup, the contrast with this experimental group will speak volumes about who he actually trusts.
Italy's disjointed performance was a direct result of squad rotation and is unlikely to reflect Mancini's true preferred lineup going forward.