Roberto Mancini has taken charge of the Italy national team for the second time. The coach who led the Azzurri to victory at Euro 2020 returns following another setback—Italy failed to qualify for a third consecutive World Cup.
The challenges facing the Italian national team have persisted for nearly two decades, with some even attributing a mystical quality to them. The 2006 World Cup final is remembered not only for Marcello Lippi‘s squad triumph but also for Marco Materazzi‘s provocation that led to Zinedine Zidane‘s red card. Since then, Italy has won just one World Cup match—in 2014, when the team beat England 2-1. Could this be considered a curse?
One factor cited for Italy’s decline is the decreasing number of top-level players produced domestically. According to the CIES Football Observatory, between 2020 and 2025, Italy developed 413 footballers who then moved abroad to play. This ranked the country 24th globally. In contrast, the other four leading European leagues—England, Spain, Germany, and France—each surpassed the 1,000-player mark.
Another issue is the limited playing time for young talents in Serie A. In 2025, players under 21 eligible for the Italian national team accounted for just 1.9 percent of total league minutes. CIES data shows this was the second-lowest figure among the world’s top 50 leagues.
However, Mancini’s first squad since his return signals a shift in direction. The 34-player roster includes nine players who have yet to make their senior international debut, and 11 players are under 23 years old.
In the upcoming UEFA Nations League, Italy will compete in Group A alongside Belgium, Turkey, and France. For Mancini’s revamped team, this tournament represents the first major test since his comeback.
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