Barella not concerned by Italy rotation role
Italy star Nicolo Barella believes he needs to step up when it comes to goalscoring and has hailed Roberto Mancini's impact since coming back to coach the Azzurri.
It has been a mixed start to the UEFA Nations League for Italy, with Mancini's side having lost 2-0 to Belgium before crushing Turkiye 4-1 in Bursa and salvaging an impressive 1-1 draw with France.
Barella missed out on the matchday squad for the Turkiye trip, and was only used as a substitute in Paris. He has featured for only 108 minutes across the three games so far, and has failed to register a goal or an assist.
However, he is expected to line up for the Azzurri in Bologna on Tuesday (AEDT).
Speaking before the game, Barella said: "I am not old, but I do have a lot of games in my legs and have had to learn how to listen to my body.
"Playing 70 games a year, you don't have the same sharpness you did at age 23, but looking at the statistics, I am still one of those who covers the most ground.
"The only thing I'm lacking for the Nazionale is a few goals. That is where I'm lagging behind."
When asked about his response to not starting against France, Barella simply replied: "This is a team sport, it's not tennis."
Barella also spoke glowingly of Mancini, under whom he won the European championship in 2021.
"One of the best things about the coach is that he allows us players to feel a sense of peace," he said.
"We had some very difficult and not positive experiences in recent years, especially when it comes to me, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alessandro Bastoni.
"The coach asked us to rediscover our enthusiasm, and I think we are doing that, because otherwise we wouldn't have got back on track in France and then nearly won it at the end."
Nicolò Barella
Italy
