Italy legend Beppe Bergomi feels Roberto Mancini showed he is out of touch with a changing Serie A. ‘We saw old ideas, none of what we’re seeing at Inter, Roma, Frosinone or Como.’

The Azzurri were beaten 2-0 at home by Belgium in the opening Nations League match last night, the return of Mancini to the bench after walking away in 2023.

He adopted on paper a 4-3-3 formation, but with the versatility of Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Nicolò Cambiaghi allowing the shift to 3-5-2 in different phases of the game.

It was not just the performance that disappointed Sky Sport Italia pundit and 1982 World Cup winner Bergomi, but the way they went about it.

“I frankly expected something very different. You can lose, but I expected to see some of what Serie A has been offering this season,” said Bergomi.

“Inter, Roma, Frosinone and Como play in a certain way, but we saw none of that. It was all old ideas, with Barella or Tonali trying to accompany the centre-forward. So out-dated.

“I had expected the full-back to push up and join the forwards, but instead it was studied differently. Cambiaghi was the most incisive of all, he took opponents on a few times, providing the assists for Kean and Pio Esposito chances that forced great saves.

“Barella was the best midfielder, but we struggled a lot in defence.”