Mancini Shuts Down Agent Backlash Over Calò Selection Decision
In a formal press briefing held at Coverciano on Monday, Italy head coach Roberto Mancini addressed squad selection policy following questions regarding the absence of Frosinone midfielder Giacomo Calò from his latest national team list.
The selection choice came under scrutiny after Calò recorded five goals and one assist across 11 Serie A appearances in central midfield for Frosinone this season. Agent Vincenzo Pisacane publicly questioned the decision to exclude the player, suggesting national team call-ups were losing their meritocratic foundation. Mancini used the gathering at Coverciano to clarify the technical hierarchy behind his roster construction.
Frosinone
clubMancini Rejects External Influence on Squad Construction
Addressing the press directly, Mancini outlined his overarching focus on player development and establishing squad profiles capable of gaining international exposure.
“Now we need to find different solutions and try to make young players earn experience,” Mancini explained on Monday. “Calò is one of the players doing well. Frosinone have 3-4 players who are good. We can’t call players who are already 29 or 30 right now. When we need them, we’ll do it, but not because his agent tells us so.”
The manager’s explicit stance highlights a structural boundary between domestic form and long-term national team development. While acknowledging Calò’s contributions to sixth-place Frosinone, Mancini prioritizes giving minutes to younger options rather than integrating players approaching 30 during this phase of squad assembly.
The response resolves an immediate debate sparked by Pisacane’s statements to TMW, where the representative argued that Calò’s midfield scoring statistics warranted inclusion in the latest camp.