Mancini Cites 'Too Much Anxiety' Ahead of Italy’s Nations League Clash With Türkiye

Head coach Roberto Mancini noted excessive anxiety surrounding the Italian national team before Monday's home Nations League fixture against Türkiye.

Italy head coach Roberto Mancini stated "there's too much anxiety around at the moment" ahead of Monday's home Nations League match against Türkiye. Since replacing Gennaro Gattuso in July, Mancini has recorded one win, one draw, and one loss. His second spell began with a 2-1 defeat to Belgium in Rome, where fans booed the team at both half time and the final whistle.

Following that opening loss, Italy secured a 4-1 victory in Türkiye and played to a 1-1 draw against France in Paris on Friday. The team currently sits third in their Nations League group, trailing leaders France and Belgium. Mancini indicated that he intends to continue rotating the starting lineup to provide opportunities for younger squad members during this four-fixture international window.

Türkiye arrives for the Monday fixture at the bottom of the group after three consecutive defeats, including a 1-0 loss to France and a 3-0 defeat against Belgium in Liege on Friday. Despite these results, Mancini defended opposing coach Vincenzo Montella, his former Sampdoria teammate, describing Türkiye as a side with a wealth of talented players. Montella recently led Türkiye to World Cup qualification and promotion to League A.