Barella Accepts Italy Bench Role Ahead of Türkiye Nations League Return

Nicolò Barella has played down any concern over his reduced role in Italy’s latest Nations League matches, insisting the Azzurri’s results matter more than his place in the starting XI.

The Inter midfielder began on the bench for Italy’s 4-1 win over Türkiye in Bursa and was used after half-time in the 1-1 draw with France in Paris. Italy return to action against Türkiye in Bologna on Monday, with Barella expected to be part of the squad again.

Quick facts

• Italy opened the Nations League with a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium.
• The Azzurri then beat Türkiye 4-1 in Bursa before drawing 1-1 in France.
• Barella has 72 Italy appearances and 10 international goals.
• Türkiye have lost all three Group A matches, scoring once and conceding eight times.
• Kenan Yıldız and Hakan Çalhanoğlu will miss the Bologna fixture through injury.

Barella, 29, said there was no room for individual frustration in an international squad. “This is a collective game, not tennis,” he said, stressing that the group’s needs come before his own minutes on the pitch.

The midfielder also addressed the strain of an increasingly crowded calendar. He said years of heavy involvement for club and country had taught him to manage his physical condition more carefully.

“I am not old, but there are plenty of matches in my legs and I have learned to listen to my body,” Barella said. He added that a player cannot retain the same sharpness at 29 as at 23 after seasons approaching 70 games, although his running figures remain among the team’s strongest.

Barella believes goals are the main area in which he can improve for Italy. Despite his 10-goal international return, he said he has not contributed enough in that aspect for the national side.

Italy’s recent run has followed a difficult period for the team, which has missed the last three World Cup finals despite winning Euro 2020 during Roberto Mancini’s first spell in charge. Barella said Mancini’s return had helped settle the mood around the camp.

He pointed to the coach’s ability to give players calm after painful recent experiences, particularly for Barella, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alessandro Bastoni. Mancini had asked the squad to recover its enthusiasm, Barella said, and Italy’s response in Paris suggested that process was under way.

Italy recovered their footing against France and came close to winning late on, a display Barella viewed as evidence of the group’s renewed spirit. The Bologna meeting offers a chance to build further momentum after the draw in Paris.

Türkiye arrive with a poor Nations League record but Barella expects a forceful response from a side seeking to halt its three-match losing run. He highlighted the absence of Çalhanoğlu, his Inter team-mate, as a significant setback for the visitors.

Barella described Çalhanoğlu as a leader and a top-level player, having known him first as an opponent and then alongside him at Inter. But he warned that Türkiye retain other dangerous players and will be especially motivated after their recent results.

The midfielder also offered a measured view on the new four-match international window. More time together can help players absorb the manager’s methods, he said, but the schedule remains demanding because of travel, short turnarounds and late returns between fixtures.