Mancini finds positives in Italy loss, accepts fans’ jeers

Roberto Mancini, the head coach of Italy's national football team, acknowledged the boos from fans at Stadio Olimpico as a common occurrence in the sport, but remained optimistic about their future. The Italian side suffered a 2-0 loss to Belgium in their first UEFA Nations League match under Mancini's leadership, following a third consecutive failed World Cup qualification campaign.

Mancini likened the task of regaining fan support to scaling Mount Everest, stating that reaching the summit would be rewarding. He emphasized that the team's poor performance was normal and that the fans' disappointment was expected. Italy managed to keep Gianluigi Donnarumma's goalkeeping in check and scored goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio during the first half, despite being outplayed in other aspects.

Mancini highlighted the team's aggressive play in the second half, where they recovered all second balls and conceded no goals, which he considered a positive aspect. The coach also addressed the lingering impact of their World Cup play-off defeat to Bosnia and Herzegovina, urging his players to focus on improving rather than dwelling on past mistakes.

New manager Mark van Bommel expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, particularly their desire and intensity in the first half, and pledged to work on further improvements.