Italy's poor start puts Mancini's job at risk as defensive frailties emerge

Roma have absorbed Gian Piero Gasperini's tactical principles so thoroughly that 15 months into his tenure they now execute his core defensive doctrines almost automatically. The club's numbers across the opening five Serie A matches bear that out: they lead the division in interceptions with 71 and rank second in tackles won with 65, behind only Lecce. Gasperini's system treats defence and attack as inseparable. The goal is not merely to prevent opponents from reaching goal, but to regain possession as quickly as possible—ideally in advanced areas when the opposing team is still disorganized and vulnerable. Every ball recovered can immediately spark a fresh attacking move. Roma now read passing lanes in advance and press the opposition's build-up play. Mario Hermoso leads the squad with 16 interceptions, but the collective statistic points to a shared tactical discipline. The volume of tackles won reflects the same principle. The system demands aggressive individual defending, tight marking and willingness to engage in constant duels. Defenders, midfielders and wing-backs are asked to push forward, compress space between lines and suffocate opposition play before it can develop. This approach requires intense physical effort alongside synchronization and reading of the game—which explains why Gasperini has frequently changed his back four during matches to keep defenders fresh. Gasperini himself acknowledged after the recent draw with Inter that improvements remain, but the trajectory is correct and the underlying principle now operates almost on instinct.

Alessandro Romano made his senior debut for Italy against Belgium at the Olimpico on 26 September 2026, but the Corriere della Sera used his performance in a 2–0 defeat to reopen debate about Roma's decision to sell him. The newspaper's chief critic Fabrizio Roncone focused heavily on the midfielder's role in Belgium's opening goal: Romano received the ball in midfield, came under opponent pressure, and lost possession cheaply, allowing Belgium to counter rapidly. From that turnover came Godts's opening goal. The Corriere's assessment was blunt: "There is Romano in midfield seeing them descend on him, seeing only red shirts and making an easy pass mistake." More pointedly still, the paper stated: "This Romano is not the new Rodri. Get that out of your head. He is what he is." That judgment led directly to Gasperini and Roma. The Corriere argued that because Gasperini watched Romano daily at Trigoria and gave him only sparse first-team minutes before approving first a loan to Spezia and then a permanent move to Cagliari, the coach must have seen something that others are only now discovering. "If Gasperini, having had him at Trigoria under his eyes every day, decided he could be sold to Cagliari in the name of even modest profit, there must be a reason," the paper wrote. Romano's rise had been dramatic: at Cagliari he quickly earned a starting berth, scored on his first start in that role, and secured his Italy call-up. Analysts including Fabio Pisacane had compared him to Kevin Strootman, and Romano himself cited Rodri as his model. One poor performance against a vastly superior Belgium side at international debut cannot be conclusive for a 20-year-old, yet the Corriere's criticism inevitably resurrects questions about Roma's summer disposal. The broader match told against Romano too. The Corriere described Italy as slow, predictable, and unable to match modern European football's tempo, with Mancini's setup likened to "old, dusty tiki-taka"—dense possession without genuine attacking acceleration. Belgium played vertically, attacked space, and exploited the quality of De Bruyne, De Ketelaere and Godts. By half-time Belgium appeared "of another category," and Donnarumma was forced to make repeated saves to prevent a heavier defeat. Mancini withdrew Romano at the 65th minute, replacing him with Frattesi, but the script barely changed. Belgium scored a second and the Olimpico filled the final stages with whistles and protest.

Kevin Strootman has expressed strong confidence in Gian Piero Gasperini's Roma side, highlighting the impact of fellow Dutchman Donyell Malen and midfield reinforcement Marten De Roon. Strootman singled out Malen's quality and adaptation at the club. "I know him well and he is a very strong forward," Strootman said. "He has great quality and spectacular speed. I think Roma is the right team for him—he feels important and is showing it." On De Roon's arrival to strengthen Gasperini's midfield, Strootman stressed his experience and familiarity with Italian football and the coach's methods. "He is someone who always gives his all for the team and can help younger players," Strootman explained, underlining De Roon's presence in the dressing room. Asked about Roma's Scudetto ambitions, Strootman remained cautious: "Maybe… let's see where Roma will be in March."

Alessandro Romano made his senior debut for Italy against Belgium at the Olimpico on 26 September 2026, but the Corriere della Sera used his performance in a 2–0 defeat to reopen debate about Roma's decision to sell him. The newspaper's chief critic Fabrizio Roncone focused heavily on the midfielder's role in Belgium's opening goal: Romano received the ball in midfield, came under opponent pressure, and lost possession cheaply, allowing Belgium to counter rapidly. From that turnover came Godts's opening goal. The Corriere's assessment was blunt: "There is Romano in midfield seeing them descend on him, seeing only red shirts and making an easy pass mistake." More pointedly still, the paper stated: "This Romano is not the new Rodri. Get that out of your head. He is what he is." That judgment led directly to Gasperini and Roma. The Corriere argued that because Gasperini watched Romano daily at Trigoria and gave him only sparse first-team minutes before approving first a loan to Spezia and then a permanent move to Cagliari, the coach must have seen something that others are only now discovering. "If Gasperini, having had him at Trigoria under his eyes every day, decided he could be sold to Cagliari in the name of even modest profit, there must be a reason," the paper wrote. Romano's rise had been dramatic: at Cagliari he quickly earned a starting berth, scored on his first start in that role, and secured his Italy call-up. Analysts including Fabio Pisacane had compared him to Kevin Strootman, and Romano himself cited Rodri as his model. One poor performance against a vastly superior Belgium side at international debut cannot be conclusive for a 20-year-old, yet the Corriere's criticism inevitably resurrects questions about Roma's summer disposal. The broader match told against Romano too. The Corriere described Italy as slow, predictable, and unable to match modern European football's tempo, with Mancini's setup likened to "old, dusty tiki-taka"—dense possession without genuine attacking acceleration. Belgium played vertically, attacked space, and exploited the quality of De Bruyne, De Ketelaere and Godts. By half-time Belgium appeared "of another category," and Donnarumma was forced to make repeated saves to prevent a heavier defeat. Mancini withdrew Romano at the 65th minute, replacing him with Frattesi, but the script barely changed. Belgium scored a second and the Olimpico filled the final stages with whistles and protest.

Alessandro Romano's sale to Cagliari has become a flashpoint for criticism of Gasperini's transfer strategy, but the narrative conflates a promising young midfielder with an elite prospect and misreads Roma's reasoning for the deal. Romano earned excessive hype after four strong matches with Cagliari, leading to comparisons with Rodri and a call-up to the Italy squad after just 451 minutes in Serie A. His debut for the national team proved disastrous and drew unwarranted criticism. The sale itself became weaponised against Roma—a club top of the league with unprecedented numbers—as though offloading Romano represented a catastrophic error. Roberto Mancini, Italy's current manager, fuelled the narrative, saying in a press conference: "Romano, I knew little of him, but he impressed me at the first matchday and I wanted to see him. I believe he can be important for the national team's future, he plays with first touch and Ranieri did well to flag him." Mancini's comments overlooked a key fact: Romano had debuted under Gasperini, who therefore did not rate him as poorly as the mythology suggests. Gasperini's decision to sell Romano for a fee reaching €9 million with bonuses and a resale percentage was nearly unavoidable given squad structure and midfield depth. Romano would have been a fifth-choice option and lacked the characteristics ideal for Gasperini's system. The absence of a buyback clause is a legitimate point of debate, though including one would have significantly reduced the final figure. Within days, fears took hold that Roma had lost another De Rossi. Instead, the rush to portray Gasperini as foolish took precedence over assessing the emotional state of a young player who, a year earlier, was playing in Primavera. The article suggests other young defenders—Ghilardi, Tresoldi, Kayode, and Pisilli (on loan to the Under-21s)—merit national team opportunities more than Romano, and that diplomatic victory over Switzerland mattered more to the discourse than sporting judgment.

Roma's international contingent made an impact during the first round of matches across their respective national teams. Rodrigo Mora, representing Portugal's Under-21 side, delivered an assist and created multiple chances in a 90-minute display against Bulgaria that drew praise. Manu Koné continued his strong form for France, deployed as a defensive midfielder against Turkey in a different role than his usual positioning, yet still ranked first for successful dribbles and maintained his stellar start to the season. Koné has now established himself as a cornerstone of the French setup under Zinedine Zidane. Roma sent 12 players on international duty during this break, giving head coach Gian Piero Gasperini a chance to recharge ahead of a strong start to the 2026-27 campaign while maintaining focus on rhythm and fitness. Rodrigo's performance underlined the club's expectations following a €50 million investment, with his growth trajectory in a Roma shirt becoming increasingly significant. The break comes at a critical juncture, balancing necessary rest with the imperative to sustain momentum after the club's impressive opening. Gianluca Mancini's display for Italy proved disappointing, marked by an error leading to Belgium's opening goal and imprecision in the first half, though he improved after the break and came close to scoring. Daniele Ghilardi was not selected for Italy and awaits his national team debut. Konstantinos Koulierakis remained unused on the bench in Greece's match against Serbia. Evan N'Dicka returned to action with Ivory Coast, delivering a solid performance in their victory against Ghana. The three Roma players on Argentina duty—Santiago Castro, Matías Soulé and Leonardo Balerdi—face a friendly against Bolivia in four days, followed by Argentina's tribute match to Lionel Messi, a fixture where Nahuel Molina and Paulo Dybala are hoped to appear, though Roma has yet to confirm their release.