Mancini: Italy do not have a generation like Totti and Del Piero

Italy coach Roberto Mancini said the national team is currently going through a rebuilding phase.

Italy began the Nations League on Sept. 25 with a 2-0 home defeat by Belgium. Mancini’s team will face Türkiye away on Sept. 28.

“Every team goes through different phases. Italy is currently in a rebuilding period. We do not have a squad like the generation that once included Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero and other great champions,” Mancini said at a news conference.

The coach stressed that the team needs time to get to know one another better and build a competitive side.

“I hope we will put in a good performance against Türkiye and increase our pressing and aggression. We have not had time these days to prepare anything new. Therefore, I do not expect major changes,” the coach said.

The Nations League is a UEFA competition featuring European national teams and is designed to provide regular competitive matches outside major tournament qualification campaigns.