Esposito Brothers Make Italy History in 4-1 Nations League Win Over Turkey
Italy responded emphatically to their opening Nations League defeat by Belgium, beating Turkey 4-1 away from home as Roberto Mancini secured his first victory since returning as Azzurri coach. The result also brought a landmark evening for the Esposito family, with Pio and Sebastiano starting together for the senior side.
The brothers became the first sibling pair to begin an Italy match since Aldo and Luigi Cevenini faced Switzerland in 1915. Their inclusion also followed the last occasion two brothers had appeared in the same Azzurri game: Filippo and Simone Inzaghi played alongside each other for 11 minutes against England in November 2000.
Italy took control before the interval through Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and Michael Kayode, whose first senior international goal came on his debut. Pio Esposito completed the scoring after the break, heading in from a rebound to underline the visitors’ superiority.
Esposito brothers make Italy history
The Espositos are now the first family to have three brothers represent Italy’s senior national team. Salvatore Esposito, the eldest of the trio, made his international debut under Mancini against England in 2022, before his younger brothers followed him into the squad.
Sebastiano had previously spoken of the family’s shared ambition, saying that, with Salvatore and Pio reaching the national side, he would not have been able to forgive himself had he failed to do the same.
For Pio and Sebastiano, the Turkey match moved that family story on again, placing them alongside the Ceveninis and Inzaghis in the record of Italian international football.
Mancini’s side end long waits
The 4-1 success was Italy’s first away win by a margin of at least three goals since the 3-0 victory in Bosnia on November 15, 2019. It was also the first time Mancini had led the Azzurri to a win since the 3-2 result against the Netherlands on June 18, 2023, a gap of 1,198 days.
Three points on the road provide a significant lift for an Italy team seeking to move beyond consecutive failures to qualify for the World Cup. With the Nations League schedule offering little scope for further setbacks, the display in Turkey gives Mancini a stronger platform for the matches ahead.
Turkey, meanwhile, were greeted by loud disapproval from their home support after a second successive defeat. The scale of the loss increases the pressure on coach Vincenzo Montella as his side attempt to recover their form in the competition.
