Italy CT Roberto Mancini sees ‘many talented Italian players’, including Edoardo Bove and Wilfried Gnonto and is convinced ‘anything can happen’ in the Champions League Final where Inter or Milan will meet Manchester City or Real Madrid.
The Italian tactician has spoken during the event Milano Football Week organised by the Italian paper La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The former Samp and Lazio star has recently complained about a lack of options in attack and struggles for playing time for young Italian players in Serie A.
Roma midfielder Bove, 20, had made headlines earlier this week scoring the winner in the Europa League semifinal first leg against Bayer Leverkusen: “Those like him must play, he’s been a starter for the last couple of weeks and scored in the semifinal on Thursday,” said Mancini.
“There are some interesting Italian talents. Look at Willy Gnonto, he joined Leeds in the Premier League and he plays almost in every game. I like Fabio Miretti and Nicolò Fagioli in midfield, they have a bright future ahead.”
Mancini may not be at San Siro when Inter and Milan meet in the Champions League semifinal second leg next week.
“I’d like to play 15 minutes, it’s an incredible game,” he said, smiling.
“I don’t know if I’ll be at San Siro, I still don’t have the tickets. It’s nice to see another European derby after 20 years and anything can happen in the Final against Manchester City or Real Madrid.”
Mancio also spoke about the late Vialli, one of his closest friends and a former Italy delegation chief who died this past January: “He’s still here. Gravina and I brought him to the national team and we were happy together.”
Vialli and Mancini won Sampdoria‘s only Serie A title in 1990-91, but the Blucerchiati have now been relegated to Serie B and risk bankruptcy at the end of the season: “It’s a bad situation and I hope all will be solved. To think about Sampdoria in a certain way would be dramatic,” the coach admitted.
Italy will face Spain in the Nations League semis in June, a trophy that the Azzurri: “Must try to win because it will become an even more important competition in the future.”