How Mancini reacted to Italy boos at the Stadio Olimpico: ‘Climbing Everest’

ENSCHEDE, NETHERLANDS - JUNE 15: Head coach of Italy Roberto Mancini attends before the UEFA Nations League 2022/23 semifinal match between Spain and Italy at FC Twente Stadium on June 15, 2023 in Enschede, Netherlands. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)

Roberto Mancini says that he was not overly surprised that Italy’s 2-0 defeat against Belgium on Friday night ended in boos from the Stadio Olimpico crowd, but insists that ‘it wasn’t all negative, as the first 25 minutes of the second half showed’. 

Mancini responds after Italy were booed off the Olimpico pitch

Mancini’s second debut as the head coach of the Italy national team ended in a 2-0 defeat at home against Belgium, who punished an underwhelming Azzurri side with goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio in the capital. 

The Stadio Olimpico barely reached half of its capacity, with attendance figures reported to be around 40,000 after a disappointing calendar year for the national team. Still, the supporters made their voices heard at full-time as Italy walked off to a round of boos. 

Mancini was asked about the reception he and his players received after full-time during his post-match press conference at the Stadio Olimpico. 

“We have to climb Everest and it will be beautiful when we get to the top,” said Mancini (via TMW). Boos can happen when you lose. However, it wasn’t all negative as the first 25 minutes of the second half show.”

Mancini also admitted that the World Cup play-off final defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina is still playing on his players’ minds. 

“It’s something that weighs fairly heavily, but we have to let it go. We can’t think about what’s happened in the past, we have to think positively and not about what happened previously because we can’t change that.”

So, what must Italy work on in the next few days before their next Nations League test against Turkey on Monday night? 

“We have to start again from the good things that we saw during the first 25 minutes of the second half,” said Mancini. “We were aggressive, recovered the second balls and we didn’t concede anything. We shouldn’t force things when there is no space.”