Federico Chiesa was Italy’s best player in their game with Spain, while Italian papers hit out at Leonardo Bonucci, who ‘put the Azzurri in trouble.’
Italian sports papers analysed Italy’s performance against La Roja in the Nations League semifinal.
The Azzurri suffered a 2-1 defeat, ending their 37-game unbeaten run.
Chiesa was one of the few players to get a ‘passing grade’ as he was rated 7/10 by La Gazzetta dello Sport and Tuttosport and 6.5 by Il Corriere dello Sport.
Every Italian sports paper picked him as the best Azzurri on the pitch at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
‘Perhaps not the strongest, surely the most entertaining player of the night,’ wrote the pink paper, while Tuttosport pointed out how the Juventus winger was the ‘last one to surrender’ having delivered a late assist for Lorenzo Pellegrini.
His Juventus teammate Leonardo Bonucci, on the other hand, was the worst player on the pitch.
The veteran received two yellow cards in the first half and forced Italy to play down to ten men for the entire second half.
According to the three main Italian sports papers, the referee’s decisions were correct and Bonucci was too naive when he was shown the first yellow card for dissent.
Bonucci was rated 4/10 by La Gazzetta and Tuttosport and 4.5 by Il Corriere dello Sport. After the game, the defender apologised to fans.
The 34-year-old shares low ratings with Lorenzo Insigne, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Alessandro Bastoni and Marco Verratti.