Soccer Football - UEFA Nations League - League A - Group 3 - Portugal v Italy - Estadio da Luz, Lisbon, Portugal - September 10, 2018 Italy coach Roberto Mancini gestures REUTERS/Rafael Marchante
MILAN (Reuters) - The optimism which followed Roberto Mancini's appointment as Italy coach in May quickly drained away following their 1-0 loss to Portugal on Monday as thoughts turned to Nations League relegation.
Mancini made nine changes to his starting line-up against the European champions as he continued his search for the right players to help him rebuild Italy following their failure to qualify for this year's World Cup.
Already a subscriber? Log in.
Win a prize this Mother's Day by subscribing to our annual plan now! T&C applies.
Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
