'We managed to perform well' - Mancini pleased with Italy's fightback win in Nations League

Mancini admitted his players were tired and expected their performance to lose some of its usual fluency after making several changes to the team.

"Everyone was tired, but we did well to get back into the game after a less-than-optimal start," Mancini said.

"I knew we would lose fluidity in our play with all these changes, but in the end, we still managed to perform well."

The Italy coach also explained why he substituted Gianluca Scamacca and Ruggeri, with both players already on yellow cards.

"They had both been booked, and I had a feeling the referee wanted to punish them again. That's why I preferred to take them off," he said.

Mancini was particularly pleased with Romano, who impressed in a deeper midfield role.

"He played well and showed he can also operate as a central midfielder," Mancini said. "He needs to play more matches of this type to improve."

The victory continued Italy's progress, although Mancini was reluctant to read too much into the improvement.

"We managed to improve a difficult situation, but it's still too early to draw conclusions," he said.

He also praised Calafiori, Vergara and Doumbia for their performances as he continues to assess his options.

However, the most emotional moment of the press conference came when Mancini was asked which player he missed most from his first spell in charge of Italy.

His answer was brief: "Gianluca Vialli."

The response drew applause from the journalists, reflecting the special relationship Mancini shared with Vialli during their playing careers and later with the national team.

Mancini now wants Italy to build on the victory and be ready for their next challenge, with a Nations League meeting against France at San Siro in Milan on Thursday, November 12.