La Gazzetta dello Sport explains that Michael Folorunsho’s physicality is one reason the Napoli-owned midfielder was included in the Italy squad for Euro 2024, while Mattia Zaccagni will be a backup for Federico Chiesa.
Spalletti named his 26-man squad for Euro 2024 on Thursday, removing Ivan Provedel, Samuele Ricci, and Riccardo Orsolini from the original 29-man team.
Friday’s printed edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport on page 18 explains that Orsolini could have paid for a poor performance against Turkey on Thursday even if, perhaps, Mattia Zaccagni had a slight edge before the game.
However, Orsolini was the only left-footed attacker in the Azzurri squad so his omission raised eyebrows.
Italy squad at Euro 2024: Two surprising Spalletti decisions explained
According to Gazzetta, Zaccagni’s dribbling skills make him a better replacement for Chiesa, so Spalletti picked the Lazio winger who scored six Serie A goals in 2023-24 against Orsolini’s ten.
Another surprising inclusion was Folorunsho, even if the 26-year-old had an excellent season at Verona.
The Napoli-owned midfielder hasn’t yet made his senior debut with the Azzurri, but Spalletti believes Italy can benefit from his physicality. The CT sees Folorunsho as an attacking midfielder, potentially a replacement for Lorenzo Pellegrini, but he can also play as a right winger, as he did at Verona this season.
Raoul Bellanova’s call was less surprising as the Torino defender already made a convincing senior Azzurri debut in March.
According to Gazzetta, there are several reasons why the Granata defender was included in the final Euro 2024 squad.
Bellanova’s versatility allows him to play in a 3-5-2 system and a 4-2-3-1 formation, but his pace in the final 30 minutes can also become a secret weapon for the Azzurri at the Euros.