Roberto Mancini’s return to the Italy national team was supposed to represent a new beginning. Instead, the first chapter of his second spell ended with a 2-0 defeat against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico, a performance that once again raised questions about how quickly the Azzurri can rebuild after a difficult period.
The defeat came in Italy’s 900th international match and only 178 days after the painful night in Zenica that had ended the country’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup. The circumstances were different, but the emotional background was difficult to ignore. Italy needed a convincing start. It got a complicated one.
Belgium won through Mika Godts and Dodi Lukébakio. Godts opened the scoring in the 20th minute, while Lukébakio struck in the 69th minute after Italy had begun the second half with much more intensity. The result leaves Italy without points after the opening round of Nations League Group A1, alongside Türkiye, while Belgium and France have three points each.

The first half exposed the biggest problems

The most worrying part of the match was not simply that Italy conceded early. It was the way Belgium was able to control the game.
Italy tried to attack with a 4-3-3 formation, but Belgium repeatedly found space and appeared more comfortable when moving the ball forward. Kevin De Bruyne offered experience and quality in midfield, while Godts was able to attack the Italian defensive line with speed and confidence.
The opening goal came after twenty minutes and changed the atmosphere inside the Olimpico. Italy had difficulty responding immediately and, for long stretches, looked more concerned with surviving than imposing its own rhythm.
Donnarumma was therefore extremely important.
The Italian goalkeeper produced several important saves and kept the deficit at one goal. The FIGC match report credited him with at least three decisive interventions during a first half in which Belgium had the clearer control of the game.
That detail is significant because it tells us more than the score alone. At halftime, Italy was still in the match largely because its goalkeeper had prevented the situation from becoming worse.
The reaction from the stands followed the same pattern. The Olimpico had started the evening hoping to see the beginning of a new Italy. Instead, the team left the field at halftime under pressure from the crowd.

Something changed after the break

The second half was different.
Mancini did not immediately change his formation or personnel, but the attitude of the team improved. Italy moved forward with greater urgency and began to create situations around the Belgian penalty area.
Cambiaghi became particularly important. His movement and crossing created problems, while Kean had a major opportunity shortly after the restart. Pio Esposito also tried to make an impact.
For a short period, the game looked open again.
That was perhaps the most encouraging part of Italy's performance. The players were not simply accepting the result. They pushed Belgium backwards and created the impression that an equaliser could arrive.
But football often turns on small moments.
At the 69th minute, Belgium recovered the ball and attacked quickly. Lukébakio took advantage of the space and scored the second goal.
It was a brutal moment for Italy because it came during the best spell of the Azzurri's performance.
After that, the Belgian team became much more comfortable again. Mancini made further changes, bringing on players including Frattesi, Maldini, Scalvini, Doumbia and Zoma in an attempt to change the game.
Italy continued to search for a goal. Scalvini even hit the crossbar late in the match, but the response never became enough to reopen the contest.

Mancini does not hide from the criticism

After the match, Mancini acknowledged that Belgium had been better in the first half and that Italy had struggled. At the same time, he defended the second-half performance, saying that his players had done well until the counterattack that produced the second Belgian goal.
The coach also accepted the reaction of the supporters.
There was no attempt to pretend that the boos were unexpected. Losing at home, especially after the expectations surrounding his return, inevitably created a strong reaction.
The challenge for Mancini is therefore not simply tactical. He also has to rebuild confidence around a team that has experienced several disappointments in a relatively short period.
That cannot be achieved with one victory or one new formation.

Why the Zenica comparison matters

The phrase “we are still in Zenica” appeared prominently in the Italian press after the defeat. It was a reference to the idea that Italy had not yet completely escaped the consequences of the previous failure.
That interpretation should be treated as a media reading rather than an objective diagnosis, but the comparison is understandable.
Italy had failed to qualify for another World Cup. Mancini returned to a squad that needed to rediscover confidence, identity and competitiveness. The first Nations League match was therefore always going to carry more emotional weight than a normal September fixture.
The 0-2 defeat made that burden even heavier.
At the same time, it would be premature to say that the entire Mancini project has already failed. The Nations League group contains five more matches, and the second half against Belgium showed that the team can react when it increases its intensity.
The question is whether that reaction can become the normal version of Italy rather than a temporary response to going behind.

The Group A1 situation

The opening round has put Belgium and France on three points. Italy and Türkiye are still waiting for their first points.
The French team defeated Türkiye 1-0 in the other Group A1 match, meaning that Italy now has to chase both of the teams that started with victories. The competition format makes the standings particularly important. The top two teams qualify for the quarter-finals, while fourth place results in direct relegation to League B. The third-placed team enters a promotion/relegation playoff.
That means Italy cannot afford to treat the first defeat as an isolated friendly-style setback.
Every remaining match matters.

Türkiye is already waiting

The schedule gives Mancini almost no time to reflect.
Italy will travel to Bursa on September 28 to face Türkiye at the Atatürk Spor Kompleksi. The match is scheduled for 20:45 CEST.
The challenge will be complicated by the fact that Türkiye is also looking for its first points after losing 1-0 to France.
Then comes another major test. Italy will travel to Saint-Denis to face France on October 2 before returning to Italy for the home game against Türkiye in Bologna on October 5. The group phase concludes in November with matches against France and Belgium.
In other words, Mancini does not have months to experiment.
He has days.

What Italy needs to improve

The defeat against Belgium highlighted several areas that require attention.
First, Italy needs to become more stable when opponents press and attack quickly. The first half showed how easily Belgium could create problems when the Azzurri lost control of the midfield.
Second, Italy needs more consistency in the final third. There were moments when the team reached promising positions, but the final pass or finish was missing.
Third, the transition between defence and attack has to improve. Belgium's second goal was particularly painful because it arrived immediately after Italy had gained momentum.
And finally, the team needs a stronger emotional response to difficult moments. The second half showed that the players can react, but the reaction has to last longer than twenty or thirty minutes.
These are not problems that can be solved in one training session.

The meaning of Mancini’s return

Mancini's return inevitably brings memories of the European Championship victory in 2021. That success established a very high standard and created an emotional connection between the coach and the Italian public.
But the current national team is not the same team.
The players have changed, the circumstances have changed and the expectations are different. The coach therefore cannot simply recreate the previous cycle.
He has to build another one.
The presence of new faces is part of that process. FIGC's September squad included 34 players, with nine receiving their first senior Italy call-up. The federation described the Nations League schedule as a four-match, eleven-day tour de force designed to restart the team after the World Cup disappointment.
That context is important.
Mancini is not inheriting a finished team that only needs a few tactical adjustments. He is working with a group that contains established players, younger talents and several newcomers who still have to understand what international football at this level demands.
The Belgium match showed both sides of that situation.
There is potential.
There is also a lot of work.

The result is serious, but the story is not finished

Italy 0-2 Belgium is not the result that Mancini wanted when he returned to the national team.
The first half was too weak, the Belgian attack created too many problems and Italy depended heavily on Donnarumma. The second half was more encouraging, but the improvement was interrupted by Lukébakio's goal.
The reaction from the supporters was understandable in the context of the expectations surrounding the match, and Mancini himself accepted the boos.
Still, one defeat cannot provide a complete answer about where this new Italy is heading.
The next few matches will tell us much more.
The game in Bursa against Türkiye will be especially important because Italy needs a reaction, not necessarily in the form of a dramatic performance, but in the form of greater stability and consistency.
Then France will provide another test of the team's level.
For now, the most honest conclusion is probably also the simplest one: Mancini has returned, but the new Italy has not been built yet.
The Olimpico did not see the finished product.
It saw the beginning of the work.

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