Roma defender Gianluca Mancini has spoken openly about his disappointment at Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup and provided an update on his contract negotiations with the club. The 30-year-old was speaking at the second edition of “Matti di Te”, an event dedicated to the memory of footballer Mattia Giani, who tragically passed away in April.
Mancini admitted he is finding it difficult to watch the ongoing World Cup tournament in Qatar. “I can’t bring myself to watch the World Cup matches, it hurts too much,” he told Sky Sport, as reported by TuttoSport. He emphasized the pain of Italy missing out on a third consecutive World Cup, stating he only watches highlights and feels the weight of the national team’s absence.
The defender believes the issue runs deeper than simply a lack of youth development or coaching. “If we haven’t qualified for three consecutive World Cups, the problem isn’t just the young players, youth academies, or the coaches, as I’ve been hearing,” Mancini stated. He hopes that the emergence of young talent will eventually lead to Italy becoming competitive on the world stage again.
Turning to his club future, Mancini addressed the status of his contract with Roma, which currently runs until June 30, 2027. While acknowledging that talks have slowed recently, he remained calm about the situation. “Nothing particular has happened; we were talking and are still talking,” he explained. “Negotiations are ongoing, I’m waiting. We’ve been discussing it for a while, and I’ve been focused on the matches.” He confirmed that his agent and Roma are in communication, and he is awaiting further developments.
Mancini also expressed his excitement about Roma’s qualification for the Champions League, ending a seven-year wait for the club to return to Europe’s elite competition. He described last season as “extraordinary” despite its ups and downs, and highlighted the team’s achievement in securing third place in Serie A. “It was the culmination of the work of this group,” Mancini said, adding that he is already looking forward to hearing the Champions League anthem and experiencing the atmosphere of European nights.
