Roberto Mancini did not wait long to begin his battle off the pitch, having set himself a clear objective since taking charge of the Italian national team: "to prevent rival national teams from snatching young dual-nationality talents before they become part of the Azzurri project".
According to the French website "Foot Mercato"", Italy have already made their move for several young players with other international options. It is a strategy built on spotting them early and folding them into the national team project over the coming years.
The targets are plenty. Chief among them is Samuele Inacio, who has caught the eye of Brazil, and Issa Doumbia, whom Ivory Coast are keen to tie down, along with Alessandro Romano, one of the players Switzerland had their eye on.
Mancini also called up Mohamed Ali Zouma, who could have represented Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso. It is a move that lays bare his desire to act early before these talents decide their international future.
"Foot Mercato" confirmed there is nothing random about any of this. The Italian coach has drawn up a carefully considered plan, hunting for players who can slot quickly into the national team project while making sure no talent slips away to a rival.
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"We don't want to lose talents"
Mancini defended his decision to call up so many young players, insisting the main aim is to get to know them up close and gauge whether they can stick around for the next four years.
The Italian coach said: "If I had called up older players, there would have been criticism. I called up young players because it is important that we get to know them closely in order to build a successful team in the future".
"We need to identify the players who can stay with us over the next four years as quickly as possible," he added. "I called up a larger number of players than usual because I want to see them on the pitch".
His concern about young Italian talents drifting to other national teams is no secret. The answer, he reckons, is not to moan about it but to act early, find the players and lock them in before their international destination changes.
He explained: "We cannot complain if young players move to foreign clubs. We have to find a solution. The solution is to search for them and select them quickly, especially to avoid losing players who hold dual nationality".
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Zouma got a mention too. "Zouma has moved to the German second division, which is an excellent league," said Mancini. "He is performing well, and we hope he continues".
Next in his sights is Nicolo Tresoldi. Mancini wants to talk the young striker into choosing the Azzurri, even though he remains part of Germany's plans at under-21 level.
The nationality race, then, has begun early. Mancini has put dual-nationality talents at the top of his list, chasing a young core for Italy while slamming the door on his rivals before it is too late.