Mancini understands fans' anger after loss to Belgium

Italy national team coach Roberto Mancini expressed his acceptance of the jeering from the “Azzurri” fans following the 2-0 defeat to Belgium in their Group 1, League A match of the UEFA Nations League, insisting that there were positive aspects to be drawn from the loss.

Mancini, who won the European Championship with his country in the summer of 2021, returned to lead Italy for a second stint this summer, three years after leaving to take charge of the Saudi national team.

He now faces the task of reviving the fortunes of the four-time World Cup champions, after failing to qualify for the tournament for the third consecutive time.

Mancini’s start with the national team against the “Red Devils” was poor, as he was booed upon leaving the Stadio Olimpico in Rome after the defeat. When asked after the match whether restoring the fans’ trust was akin to climbing Mount Everest, the former Inter Milan manager acknowledged that “it is ultimately better when you reach the summit.”

He added: “It is completely natural. You lose, and the fans feel frustrated and angry. This is part of the game.”

However, despite the loss, Mancini believed there were elements to build upon ahead of the upcoming matches against Turkey and France away from home.

Mancini said: “We can learn from the first 25 minutes of the second half, when we were very aggressive (offensively) and won all the second balls.”

He added: “That was a positive for me. We need to try to lose fewer balls, which we did in the first half, and to have more possession.”

When asked whether the memory of the loss in the World Cup 2026 qualifying playoff against Bosnia and Herzegovina on penalties in March still weighed on his players, he replied: “Certainly, it affects us a little, but we must move past it.”