La Gazzetta dello Sport have brought attention to the lack of representatives from Milan in Luciano Spalletti’s first squad as head coach of the Italy national team, raising questions as to whether Davide Calabria should have been included.
The lack of Rossoneri players in the Azzurri set-up is largely down to the fact that there are very few Italian players in Stefano Pioli’s matchday squads. In fact, Calabria is the only Italian to have started any of Milan’s opening three games of the Serie A season.
Only two other Italians, Tommaso Pobega and Alessandro Florenzi have been handed minutes in the league so far in 2023-24.
Calabria is now training with a group of around 10 Milan players, including Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Pierre Kalulu, who have also not been called-up by their respective nations.
In Calabria’s absence, Spalletti has instead opted to bring Napoli captain Giovani Di Lorenzo, a Scudetto winner in 2022-23.
Spalletti has also given the nod to Matteo Darmian, who reached the Champions League final with Inter in June, albeit as part of a back-three rather than as a traditional right-back.
Calabria has now not been called-up to the national team set-up for well over a year. His last appearance for Italy came in the 5-2 loss against Germany in the Nations League last June.
La Gazzetta dello Sport poses the question: “Do you think Calabria deserves to be called up to the national team?”
Terrible from Milan for not starting enough Italians. At least Inter have 4-5 good starters.
Agreed Luca… and look at how far Inter got with those Italians!
^ A very ironic comment above, when you consider that Inter were the first team in Serie A history to field a starting lineup with 11 foreigners in 2005/06. Let’s not forget history, eh?
Fener, that was almost 20 years ago! What’s your point? Some people are obsessed with the past… It doesn’t matter.