Why Mancini left Romano on for 90 minutes for Italy against Belgium
ROME, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 25: Alessandro Romano of Italy compete for the ball with Brandon Mechele during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Belgium at Stadio Olimpico on September 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)
Alessandro Romano’s first cap was a chastening one, but Roberto Mancini has no intention of discarding the Cagliari midfielder after 90 difficult minutes against Belgium.
According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 20-year-old struggled to sleep afterwards and spent the following afternoon at the team hotel with his parents and girlfriend. “He is happy, but at the same time bitter about how things went,” those close to him said. “He dreamed of the Azzurri shirt, and dreamed of wearing it in a team win.”
Barella and Tonali the bigger concern than Romano for Italy
The performance itself was mixed: elegant movement and effective changes of direction, but little filter or rhythm in a game that got away from Italy early. Kevin De Bruyne and Youri Tielemans looked like giants beside him.
Gazzetta’s point is that the senior players let him down more than the reverse. Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali carried far greater responsibility and were equally poor, and Mancini deliberately left Romano on at half-time rather than allow the finger to be pointed at a debutant.
Born in Switzerland to a Lecce-born mother and grandparents from Naples, Romano chose Italy despite playing for the Swiss at youth international level. He is unlikely to feature in Bursa, but Paris or Bologna should bring another chance.
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