Roberto Mancini will give the Azzurri squad a much needed makeover following their World Cup play-off disaster and three players in particular look to be key.
Italy suffered a horrific 1-0 loss to North Macedonia on Thursday last week, knocking them out of the running for the upcoming World Cup in Qatar. It’s the second consecutive World Cup that the Azzurri have missed, a disastrous state of affairs that highlights the need for change.
Mancini, should he stay on, has the chance now to overhaul the Italy squad and start giving some of the younger talents more regular playing time ahead of Euro 2024. Three in particular look especially exciting.
1 – Alessandro Bastoni
The 22-year-old Inter centre back is a physically imposing and tactically aware defender, standing at 1.9m tall and possessing a good burst of pace when needed. He has been a starter under Simone Inzaghi this season and has not disappointed.
Bastoni is the obvious choice to rejuvenate the centre back role, with veterans like Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci clearly ready to take a more secondary role. His maturity and minimal injury history suggest he’ll be a regular feature in the Azzurri for years to come.
2 – Sandro Tonali
The 21-year-old Milan man is a strong and incredibly intelligent defensive midfielder, known for his quality off-the-ball positioning and accurate long passes. Whilst he looks a little like Andrea Pirlo, he plays more like Gennaro Gattuso as he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty.
Tonali still needs a little more time to develop and mature, but Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup means that he has a couple of years to continue his growth before the next major tournament.
3 – Gianluca Scamacca
The 23-year-old Sassuolo striker stands tall at 1.95m but don’t assume that he’s an immobile player, as Scamacca is known for being agile and quick on his feet. He is frequently compared to Milan veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic, in part due to his impressive technical abilities.
Scamacca is a versatile forward able to hold up play, run the channels, drop deep and wait on the last man for the perfect pass, depending on what the situation requires. Whilst it’s a little too early to say, it’s exciting to imagine Scamacca being the clinical forward that Italy have so desperately needed for years.