Roberto Mancini faced boos from Italy supporters following his return as head coach, after the national team suffered a 2-0 defeat to Belgium in their UEFA Nations League opener on Friday at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. This match marked Mancini’s second spell with the Italian side, three years after his controversial departure to manage Saudi Arabia.

The four-time World Cup champions are under pressure to reverse a recent decline, including failing to qualify for three consecutive World Cups. Mancini, who led Italy to victory at Euro 2020, acknowledged the fans’ disappointment but emphasized that such reactions are part of the sport.

“It will be even better in the end, when you reach the top,” Mancini said. “This is quite normal, you lose and the fans are disappointed and angry, that is part of the game.”

Belgium’s commanding performance featured goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio before and after half-time, handing Mark van Bommel a winning start to his managerial tenure with the Belgian national team. Italy struggled to find rhythm for much of the game and largely relied on goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to keep the scoreline respectable in the first half.

Despite the defeat, Mancini highlighted the competitiveness of Italy’s play during the latter stages of the match, particularly the 25 minutes of the second half when his squad adopted a more aggressive approach. “We can pick up from the 25 minutes of the second half when we were very aggressive, recovering all the second balls, we didn’t concede anything at all. This was a positive thing for me,” he said.

Mancini also cited the need for greater ball retention and patience in possession, pointing out that the team pressed too far and turned over possession frequently in the first half. “We have to try to lose fewer balls, which is what we did in the first half, have a little more possession, with calmness and not forcing situations when there is no space,” he added.

When asked about the impact of Italy’s recent World Cup playoff defeat to Bosnia in March, Mancini acknowledged that the loss still weighed on the players but urged a forward-looking mindset. “It’s certainly something that weighs on us a little, but we have to let it go,” he said. “We can certainly improve things, think about the positives, not always think about what has been. We can’t do anything about what has happened in the past.”

Italy’s next fixtures include two matches against Turkiye and a trip to face France during the international break, offering opportunities for Mancini to refine his squad and approach as he looks to restore confidence in the national team.