Italy and Belgium begin new eras at the Stadio Olimpico on Friday night, as two of European football’s biggest names attempt to move beyond painful World Cup endings.

Roberto Mancini is back in charge of the Azzurri three years after leaving the national team, while former Netherlands midfielder Mark van Bommel takes charge of Belgium for the first time. Their UEFA Nations League opener is therefore about considerably more than the first points available in Group A1.

With France and Türkiye completing an exceptionally strong section, neither new coach has been afforded much time for experimentation.

Mancini returns with Italy searching for a new generation

Missing one World Cup can be dismissed as a disaster. Missing three consecutively points towards a much deeper problem. Italy have not appeared at the World Cup since 2014, with their latest failure coming after Norway comfortably beat them to automatic qualification before Bosnia and Herzegovina eliminated the Azzurri on penalties in the playoffs.

Gennaro Gattuso subsequently departed, Silvio Baldini briefly took charge of the senior side for two summer friendlies, and Italy ultimately turned to a familiar figure.

Mancini is back. The 61-year-old’s first spell delivered the greatest Italian success of the last two decades, as the Azzurri won Euro 2020 and put together a world-record 37-match unbeaten run. It ended in far less satisfying circumstances when Mancini abruptly resigned in August 2023 before moving to Saudi Arabia.

Three years later, he has been asked to rebuild the national side he once revived. Mancini has made the scale of that task clear with his first selection. Nine uncapped players were included in a 34-man squad, with Michael Kayode, Alessandro Romano, Eddy Kouadio, Issa Doumbia, Sebastiano Esposito, Antonio Vergara and Mohamed Ali Zoma among those given opportunities.

It is a substantial refresh rather than a complete break with the past. Gianluigi Donnarumma remains captain and provides experience behind a defence containing Riccardo Calafiori and Alessandro Buongiorno, while Nicolò Barella and Sandro Tonali remain important midfield figures.

But there are notable absences. Alessandro Bastoni is suspended, while Federico Dimarco, Bryan Cristante and Manuel Locatelli are unavailable through injury. Mateo Retegui has not been selected despite his prolific scoring record since leaving Serie A.

That leaves particular intrigue around Italy’s attack. Francesco Pio Esposito is expected to lead the line after an encouraging start to his senior international career, and reports from Italy on Friday morning also suggest that 19-year-old Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano will make his senior debut. Mancini has additionally suggested that Esposito and Moise Kean could operate together.

For all the discussion of personnel, Mancini’s biggest task is psychological. Italy’s repeated qualifying failures have created a strange contradiction: this is still a country producing Champions League-level players and strong club sides, yet its national team has become associated with disappointment.

Mancini spoke on Thursday about making supporters fall in love with the team again, and the setting is appropriate. His second spell begins at the same Stadio Olimpico where Italy started their victorious Euro 2020 campaign five years ago. Friday will also be the 900th match in the history of the Italian national team.

Van Bommel inherits a Belgium side still capable of challenging

Belgium’s summer was considerably more successful, even if it also ended painfully. The Red Devils reached the World Cup quarter-finals before losing 2-1 to eventual champions Spain, ending an 18-match unbeaten sequence. Rudi Garcia nevertheless left his position after the tournament, opening the door for Van Bommel to take his first job in international management.

The Dutchman arrives with an interesting coaching CV. He has managed PSV Eindhoven, Wolfsburg and Royal Antwerp, winning the Belgian league and cup double with the latter in 2022-23. As a player, he also knows Italian football well from his spell with AC Milan.

Van Bommel’s appointment does not mean Belgium’s transition away from their celebrated previous generation is complete. Axel Witsel has retired from international football, while goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois is taking a break. Yet two of the country’s defining players remain central to the new coach’s plans.

Romelu Lukaku is still Belgium’s record goalscorer, while Kevin De Bruyne has explicitly committed himself to continuing with the national team. The 35-year-old said this week that he remains motivated to represent Belgium and has been positive about Van Bommel’s direct approach during their first camp together.

They are now surrounded by an increasingly youthful group. Romeo Lavia is back in the midfield options, while Van Bommel has selected emerging attacking players including Mika Godts, Malick Fofana, Matias Fernandez-Pardo and Diego Moreira. Lois Openda and Charles De Ketelaere provide further alternatives alongside Lukaku.

Goalkeeper is one position where the hierarchy is far less clear. Courtois is absent and Mats Sels has stepped away from international football, leaving Senne Lammens, Mike Penders, Maarten Vandevoordt and Jari De Busser competing for the gloves.

That uncertainty could matter against an Italy side likely to feed off the atmosphere in Rome and start aggressively under their returning coach.

Van Bommel, however, has indicated that Belgium will not travel to the Olimpico simply to contain their hosts. Speaking before the game, he said his team have prepared to dominate possession regardless of the system Mancini chooses.

It makes the tactical contest particularly interesting. Both coaches want their teams to be proactive, yet both are working with substantially altered groups and have had only a few training sessions to introduce their ideas. With four Nations League matches squeezed into this international window, there is little time to perfect anything.

Belgium also have a recent historical problem to overcome. Italy have won four of the nations’ last five meetings, including the Euro 2020 quarter-final and the 2021 Nations League third-place playoff.

The sides last met twice during the 2024-25 Nations League. Belgium recovered from two goals down to draw 2-2 in Rome after Lorenzo Pellegrini’s first-half red card, before Italy won the return fixture 1-0 in Brussels.

Verdict

This is one of the standout fixtures of the Nations League’s opening round, but it is also unusually difficult to judge. Italy have home advantage and Mancini knows many of these players, yet the scale of his rebuild is obvious. Several newcomers are being introduced immediately and Bastoni’s suspension removes an important figure from the defence.

Belgium possess more continuity in key attacking positions, particularly through De Bruyne and Lukaku, but Van Bommel is implementing his ideas for the first time and there is uncertainty in goal.

Neither coach will want to begin a difficult group with defeat, particularly with France and Türkiye still to come. That could produce an entertaining opening period before the importance of avoiding a losing start begins to influence the contest.

There is enough attacking quality on both sides to threaten, but not yet enough evidence that either new-look team is ready to control a match of this level.

Tip: Draw