Daniele De Rossi gave support to Italy coach Roberto Mancini after questions were raised over the lack of Italy call-ups for Nicolo Zaniolo and Davide Calabria.
Many were confused with the Azzurri squad called up by Mancini for the Nations League games against England and Hungary, questioning his decision to stick by the old guard and leave out talented youngsters like Fabio Miretti and Fabiano Parisi. The exclusions of Zaniolo and Calabria were particularly frustrating for some.
Speaking to Rai 2, De Rossi first discussed Mancini’s call-ups and why he decided not to call up Zaniolo and Calabria.
“We always talk about all the players, about their motivations, then the coach makes his choices. If he feels like it he’ll explain the choices. What I can guarantee is that the coach always makes decisions for the good of the national team.
“A thousand times it has happened that players who were not called up have been included in subsequent call-ups. I was a footballer until recently, so I know that it’s unfortunate for a player not to be in the call-up.
“But it can happen. We have a lot of strong players, you have to trust a coach like Mancini who took us through one of the best nights of our lives.”
He then commented on when he plans to take on his first head coach job.
“It’s a waiting period, it’s all very new. It could’ve been in June, it could’ve been a few weeks ago, maybe it’ll be soon. For the moment my head is here in the national team. For me it’s a family, a home and I feel great.
“Obviously the facts are clear, we talked about what could happen and what I would like to happen, but for now I am here and I want to honour what I do. It is 100% important what you have to do even as a coach.”
Finally, De Rossi commented on some of his coaching inspirations and what he’s learnt from them.
“De Zerbi honours the philosophy of us Italians in the best way. I fell in love with Luis Enrique for what he proposed on the pitch and for how he behaved with us on a human level. Right now I have to study and learn from all coaches.
“I have to absorb something from every coach, even those who have different philosophies from Luis Enrique or Guardiola. There will be the moment, the team, the game situation. So many teams win and so many teams do slightly different things.
“I think of Klopp, Simeone, here in Italy Gasperini and Juric or Antonio Conte wherever he goes. You have to respect and study all types of games, ideas and philosophies to create your own while respecting the characteristics the players have.”
With the lack of a World Cup in the winter, Italy now have the chance to rejuvenate and reinvent the squad ahead of their next major tournament, likely to be Euro 2024. Mancini has been conservative with his call-ups this international break but things could change in the new year.
Okoli is another player I would like given an opportunity. Scalvini is top draw but maybe best served with the under 21s for now. Is strefezza from lecce maybe an option any thoughts. Does anyone know of any top Italian strikers maybe in serie b like brunori maybe. Glad we missed out on bremer and Ibanez there not Italian and Italy would have been there second choice, although both top players.
Is there any forign stickers that can play for italy
do we have to trust him? under his watch we missed the world cup…