Bastoni wins back confidence and Mancini confirms the new Italy at the Stade de France

Alessandro Bastoni was the hero of the evening at the Stade de France in Saint‑Denis, scoring the goal that turned criticism into a message of confidence: “I have never lost confidence in myself – he explains – I will not let two or three episodes ruin my career of over 300 matches.” The result, a draw against France, showed an Italy more proud and convinced of its own abilities.

Bastoni's decisive role

Bastoni, central defender, seized the clearest chance of the match, overturning the expectations on him. His intervention allowed the team to move from a often‑criticised defence to a side capable of scoring against one of the best national teams in the world.

Mancini on the team's development

Coach Roberto Mancini praised the performance, stating: “We knew it would be a tough match, especially at the start, but we were very good. I wanted it to be another step of improvement in our journey.” He emphasized that Italy played as a team in every department, defending, attacking and showing a competitive mindset.

Mancini transforms Italy from depression to optimism with the youngsters

According to Mancini, “the boys tried to play even though it wasn’t that easy” and he added that the performance against France was a “very positive evening”. The coach also previewed the next challenge, warning that “Monday will not be easy” but confirming that the team is improving in terms of play.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma confirmed the team’s approach, stating that “with this mindset we can compete with everyone” and recalling the decisive saves that kept Italy in the match.

French coach Zinedine Zidane acknowledged the good performance of the Azzurri, noting that “Italy defended well, made its counter‑attacks and could have scored”. He concluded that the result was fair, given the context of opportunity and defence.