Mancini's Italy: victory against Turkey and signs of renewal

From the depression and the boos at the Olimpico to the magical night in Bursa. The truth about Roberto Mancini's new Italy probably lies somewhere in the middle and on Friday it will be France that will say which is the most in line with current reality. What remains is the emotional swing of a team that was at times unwatchable against Belgium and then capable of making the more than 7.3 million viewers who followed them on Rai1 wrinkle their eyes against Turkey. Fast game, first touches, rediscovered understanding and four goals in one go. In addition to the beautiful discovery of the qualities - even offensive - of Michael Kayode, it remains a regenerating victory for morale, in the name of a single family. That of the brothers Sebastiano and Francesco Pio Esposito.

Rome's poor impression had established the need for an immediate shock. The turning point came at the Atatürk Stadium.

Mancini shuffled the cards, deciding to field both Sebastiano and Pio from the first minute. A historic event: Italy had not seen two brothers as owners at the same time since 1915, with Aldo and Luigi Cevenini. Sebastiano, on his debut in the senior national team, brought unpredictability and dynamism on the wing, while Pio acted as the perfect offensive pivot - with 6 hits in 11 appearances he is the best ever for the Azzurri, an average higher than that of Roberto Baggio -, also providing the assist for Kayode's goal. The final dedication to the grandmother crowned an evening that makes the waste of the defeat against Belgium less toxic. The Inter striker took center stage, scoring, and another like Riccardo Calafiori did so by giving the shirt to a small Turkish fan who waited in the rain before letting himself go into uncontainable euphoria, the video of which went around the web.

Mancini's Italy still has a long way to go, but the feeling is that it is finally finding its foundations for the future. The match against Turkey showed, above all, the first concrete evidence of the path that the coach intends to trace. This second management of his is clearly different from the first: the objective is not to replicate the formula, albeit successful, of Euro 2020, but to shape an identity that adapts to an increasingly intense and physical football, made up of rapid verticalisations, starting from his historic 4-3-3 as the main reference system. A path that travels on the green track of young people. Italy needs new faces and Mancini has shown that he is not afraid to put them to the test, adding nine debutants to the squad during his latest call-ups.

Profiles like the midfielder Alessandro Romano - publicly praised by the coach for his technical skills - and Kayode represent the foundations of a cycle that aims to focus on athletic freshness, motivation, sense of belonging.

Supported by a renewed management structure that sees Claudio Ranieri in the role of technical director of Club Italia, Mancini has the time and human material necessary to build a solid block. Other reverses will come, but the first responses indicate that the path of courage is the right one, and at the same time the only practicable one, to bring Italy back to the top of international football. There is a European Championship in 2028 to raise our heads, build awareness and trust. Then, above all, a World Cup in 2030 which cannot be the fourth edition in a row without the Azzurri.