Calafiori and Bastoni represent new breed of Italy defender

There was such panic about the future of the Italy defence with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini’s retirement, but Alessandro Bastoni and Riccardo Calafiori are a very different beast, writes Susy Campanale.

The Nazionale has always been known for its rugged defenders and few fulfilled that role better than Bonucci and Chiellini, the pair imported wholesale from a dominant Juventus side and who proved so crucial in the march towards EURO 2020 glory. They were already coming to the end of their careers then, and that type of defender is a dying breed in Italian football. However, it seems to be replaced by something very different, possibly better.

In these Nations League games we have seen that first Calafiori and then Bastoni are able to take on the role of deep-lying playmaker for the Azzurri. Much like the approach they already took at Bologna and Inter respectively, this involves pushing up into midfield and really starting the moves, ensuring they are covered by one of the more defensive-minded midfielders like Samuele Ricci.

Bonucci used to be nicknamed a playmaker in defence, but in his case the position remained steadfastly in that area, simply picking long passes with impressive accuracy for someone more famous for kicking legs than the ball. Bastoni and Calafiori are a step forward in the evolution process of the Italian defender, bringing their skills forward to play not so much out from the back as taking the ball with them as they go forward.

Italy philosophy is changing

You can see some inspiration from Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta and Simone Inzaghi’s Inter in this Italy team, a wise choice at last from Luciano Spalletti, who had practically ignored club trends during the ill-fated EURO 2024 campaign. It is a 3-5-2, but not a fixed one, as several players have the freedom to swap places.

This is why we regularly see centre-back Bastoni bursting down the left flank to put in crosses, or in the case of filling that Calafiori role against Israel, being a comfortable figure in midfield. Davide Frattesi is still a midfielder, but also Italy’s most effective striker, able to time those runs from deep and overload the opposition defenders.

So many times we’ve heard coaches say it’s not about the system, but the interpretation of that system, and with Bastoni and Calafiori we are seeing the product of that teaching at club level find its way through to the international scene. It might just be the beginning of a more creative, versatile and open style of Italian football, where we won’t necessarily mourn the loss of the rugged centre-back who blocks everything.

Having said that, it’s still a process and Italy have not kept a clean sheet in their last six games under Spalletti. Some of those were down to just criminally daft errors trying to play out from the back, because Bastoni and Calafiori are only two, but hopefully we’ll start to see this as a trend. That might be ruined of course if Arsenal will insist on using Calafiori only rarely, and even then as a left-back, which would be a terrible waste of his talents and Italy’s potential.