Italy are still basking in the glory of winning Euro 2020 but the 2021-22 season gives World Cup 2022 hopefuls the perfect stage to impress coach Roberto Mancini. Vijay Rahaman picks out five players with Qatar on their minds…
Alessio Cragno
With Gianluigi Donnarumma and Alex Meret as the established No 1 and No 2 respectively for Italy and Salvatore Sirigu in the veteran stage of his career, the national team will need another goalkeeper pushing for a place. One such player that can put his hand up is Alessio Cragno.
The Cagliari man has already made his Azzurri debut, earning two caps, keeping a clean sheet in both appearances and coming agonisingly close to making the squad for the successful Euro 2020 team.
The Fiesole man’s best attributes are his reflexes, positioning and ability in the air. He is normally in the right place at the right time to make a save, but should that elude him, his agility to get to the ball, particularly from long-range shots, is solid.
He is definitely in with a shout of making himself a consistent member of the European champions’ squad as the countdown to Qatar 2022 continues.
Matteo Lovato
As great as Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonnuci are, they will need replacing and very soon. The stalwarts finally won on the international stage this past summer, but are 37 and 34 respectively. Alessandro Bastoni is seen as the natural heir, while Francesco Acerbi and Rafael Toloi are both past 30, so a new centre-back is required and Matteo Lovato could potentially be that.
The Veneto-born player spent the last year and a half at Verona and with each passing game, gained more and more traction and confidence, firmly establishing himself last season in Verona’s team He racked up 25 total appearances and helped the club finish a very respectable 10th in Serie A.
At 6ft2in, he is good in the air defending from set-pieces, physically strong and while his technique can use some work, that should come with experience the 21-year will gain. His performances were rewarded with a move to Atalanta and with the added play in Champions League, will no doubt be noticed even more.
Sandro Tonali
Mancini’s midfield is stacked, there is no doubting that. Nicolo Barella, Jorginho and Marco Verratti ran circles around Europe’s best this past summer, not to mention the likes of Manuel Locatelli and Bryan Cristante, who provided valuable contributions to Italy ending their 52 year wait for European glory. Then there are Lorenzo Pellegrini and Stefano Sensi, who unfortunately missed out due to injuries.
But, 15 months can be a long time in sport and many things can change by the time Qatar 2022 rolls around. Milan‘s Sandro Tonali, with four caps already, will be one of those midfielders hoping to crack the squad.
The Lodi-born regista had a decent campaign last year with the Rossoneri, playing in 37 matches and helped the club return to the Champions League for the first time in eight years. He mainly acted as an under-study to the established duo Franck Kessie and Ismael Bennacer, but would have gained immense knowledge from them.
His ability to ping balls both along the ground and over the top, as well as his quick train of thought are generally his most notable attributes. He has already worn the senior team colours four times and he will be looking to take that next step in his career over the coming campaign.
Gianluca Scamacca
The striker position is a much discussed topic with regards to Gli Azzurri. Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti are both good strikers with their clubs, Lazio and Torino respectively, but have failed to really establish themselves with their national team. During the Euros Giacomo Raspadori was a surprise selection in the 26-man squad as the third choice, which showed yet again Mancini’s willingness to give any and all a chance.
One such striker that can potentially stake a claim is Gianluca Scamacca. The Roman is owned by Sassuolo, but has been loaned out to several clubs since 2018. It has not been too bad though, as he was the top scorer in each of the past two seasons in the Coppa Italia, showing that there is talent there.
His hold up play and ability to combine well with teammates are a couple of his best characteristics. The area of concern of course is the inability to hold down a firm place at a single club. However, if and when he can sort that out, there is no doubt that he can push for a place in future Italy squads.
Riccardo Orsolini
In recent times, the Bologna winger/attacking midfielder has dropped off slightly and could be a reason why he failed to make the final squad at Euro 2020. He has a 100% scoring percentage for his nation, finding the back of net in both occasions he has appeared. That includes a Euro qualifier, and he has couple of assists to go along with the goals.
Orsolini mainly operates as a left-footed player on the right and is blessed with the lethal combination of pace and strength. In his last three campaigns at the Renato Dall’Ara he has managed 10, nine and nine goals in total, showing a certain level of consistency.
There is fierce competition on the right side of Italy’s attack with Federico Chiesa now the established player, not to mention Domenico Berardi, who started the Euros in that spot. However, and this might be a bit far-fetched, there is a need to find a long-term replacement for Lorenzo Insigne on the left, even if Matteo Pessina is the obvious choice.
Orsolini won the golden boot at the Under-20 World Cup four years ago with five strikes and will be hoping to re-establish himself this season to have a chance at appearing at the senior tournament next year.
Football Italia’s full season preview will be available from September 1.
If it was based purely on form, Cragno and Silvestri would’ve both been in the squad for the Euro’s instead of Meret and Sirigu. Meret for one is very overrated. Cragno has to be the most underrated goalkeeper in Serie A, if not the whole of European football. His consistency and ability to make fantastic saves over the past 4 seasons has him warranting a much bigger stage than Cagliari. Of course Gigio will be number 1 unless rested or injured, but I still can’t understand how or why Cragno didn’t make the squad. He deserves so much more.
DiMarco. Shocked you didn’t have the foresight to see this.
Cragno, Mancini, Dimarco, Lazzari, Calabria, Pellegrini (Roma), Sensi (if fit), Zaniolo, Politano, Grifo, and Kean should all be there or thereabouts.