Roberto Mancini: How former Man City boss is revolutionising Italy

ROBFailing to qualify for the World Cup and dropping down the world rankings, Italy’s stock has never been lower.

Former Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was given the task of restoring the nation’s fortunes and leading them on the long road back to glory.

Mancini is aiming to stamp his mark on the side, whether by selecting rookie players who have not appeared for their clubs or by discarding the traditional, solid Italian defensive style of play for a more open approach.

Italian football expert James Horncastle tells BBC Radio 5 live’s Football Daily how the changes have come about.

As a left-footed attacking midfielder, Mancini made his Serie A debut for Bologna aged 16, before fulfilling his potential by playing the majority of his career at Sampdoria and moving on to Lazio.

He won two Serie A titles and six Coppa Italias before ended his career in the Premier League with Leicester and going on to manage some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

Capped 36 times by Italy, he took up the role as national boss in May with a country struggling to challenge the best teams on the continent and needing a new direction.

Horncastle said: “Mancini has never been a stranger to giving precocious talent a chance. That goes to the identity of the man himself; he was a precocious talent at 15-16 and was too good for the youth team at Bologna. He was knocking on the first-team door and made his debut in Serie A.

“At Inter Milan, Mancini gave a chance to Mario Balotelli but with the Italy job, he is a very provocative manager and wants to reignite a debate of giving young players a chance in Italy.

“In September, he called up a player called Nicolo Zaniolo who had never made a single appearance in Serie A. It divided opinion, with people saying you should not give away the Italy shirt for nothing, you should have played 30-40 games in Serie A and in the Champions League before being called up.

“Then there are those who feel they should be rewarding talent regardless of the experience. Mancini wanted to flag up to Serie A managers that there is talent out there.

“Since Zaniolo has been in the squad, he made his Roma debut against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, and made his Serie A debut away at Fiorentina. This is what Mancini is seeking to encourage.”

BBC

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