Alessandro Romano’s rise has moved beyond Cagliari and Roma and into the wider Italian football conversation. The 20-year-old midfielder is preparing for a likely senior Italy debut against Belgium tomorrow evening, expected to start as the side’s deep-lying playmaker after choosing the Azzurri over Switzerland, the country whose youth teams he had represented.
The speed of the moment has surprised Romano himself. “Everything has happened so quickly that I still struggle to believe it is real,” he said. “I worked hard to earn an opportunity in senior football, but I never thought Serie A and the national team would arrive so soon.”
His selection carries a historical note. Romano will become only the second player born in 2006 to wear Italy’s senior shirt, excluding the experimental group selected by Silvio Baldini in June. Simone Pafundi was the first, making his appearance in 2022 when Roberto Mancini was in charge.
For Romano, the contact with Mancini has brought a personal dimension to an already remarkable week. “As a boy I watched the coach on television while Italy won the European Championship,” he said. “Now I can speak with him and I have his phone number. It is emotional.”
A choice made with conviction
Claudio Ranieri, now Italy’s technical director, was the first to approach Romano. Ranieri had known the midfielder during his time at Roma’s Trigoria training centre, first as coach and later in a club role. Romano acknowledged the debt he feels towards him: “I owe him a great deal.”
Once Romano was open to discussing an international switch, Mancini watched him in person at Parma, where the midfielder scored his first Serie A goal. The connection was quickly established, and Romano chose Italy after speaking with his family.
“I decided with my heart,” Romano explained. “I felt that my path had to be with Italy. It was not a choice against Switzerland, because I am very grateful to that country. I grew up there as a person and learned five languages. But the desire to represent Italy was stronger.”
Switzerland did not give up easily. Their coach, Murat Yakin, travelled to Cagliari for the late-August match against Inter and outlined a prominent future for Romano, presenting him as a possible successor to Granit Xhaka. Yet Romano had already given his word to the Italian federation and did not reverse course.
Earlier in the year, he had turned down an Italy Under-21 call from Baldini. FIFA rules allow only one change of sporting nationality during a player’s career, and Romano did not want to risk such a permanent decision without the prospect of a place in the senior Italy side. At that point, Switzerland appeared the safer route.
The Swiss reaction has been particularly bitter. There is even the possibility of a claim for €100,000 in compensation for what they consider an unsuccessful investment in his development.
Roma’s lost control and Cagliari’s gain
Roma are now considering whether their summer decision was too generous to Cagliari. The issue is not Romano’s departure itself, but the absence of a buy-back clause when the club relinquished control of a player who has rapidly attracted attention from Inter, Juventus and Milan.
Romano had made only two senior appearances for Roma under Gian Piero Gasperini, against Lecce and Sassuolo in January, before being sent to Spezia on a six-month loan. During the summer, with Financial Fair Play considerations and a need to strengthen the squad, Roma accepted a permanent sale worth €5 million plus bonuses, potentially rising to €6.5 million.
It was a useful capital gain for the Roman club, but Cagliari may eventually receive a much greater return. Their willingness to place trust in a relatively unknown young midfielder has already been rewarded by his Serie A development and now by his arrival in the Italy set-up.
Romano has not publicly shown resentment towards Roma. “It was the club’s and the coach’s assessment,” he said. “I was not disappointed. I am very happy at Cagliari, and evidently this was the route meant for me.”
Comparisons have already begun, with some seeing elements of Kevin Strootman at his best and others, including Davide Frattesi, drawing a link with Nemanja Matic. Romano himself has named Rodri, winner of every major honour, as his reference point in the role. That remains a distant standard, but his first Italy opportunity has arrived quickly enough to suggest that this season’s story has only just opened.
