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Calcio Debate: Italy Fans – Get Ready For Old Players In South Africa
It seems that we will be seeing the likes of Luca Toni and Simone Perrotta at the Confederations Cup, following Italy Under-21 coach Pierluigi Casiraghi’s Euro squad announcement today…
Marcello Lippi is a world champion. Marcello Lippi has won every club trophy in the game. Marcello Lippi is one of the greatest coaches in the history of football. How can you possibly argue with a legend with such pedigree?
Well, the way things are going for Italy right now, it is impossible to be anything but critical of the great man.
In just over a year’s time when the Azzurri attempt to defend their World Cup in South Africa, we will know one way or another whether Lippi’s stubborn refusal to integrate any talented youngsters was misjudged.
This afternoon, Italy Under-21 coach Pierluigi Casiraghi named a 40-man preliminary squad for next month’s European Under-21 Championships. On the list were Fabiano Santacroce, Marco Motta, Salvatore Bocchetti, Domenico Criscito, Davide Santon, Mario Balotelli and Sebastian Giovinco – many of whom surely should already be a part of the senior national set-up.
All of these starlets will be flying north to Sweden, instead of down to South Africa for the Confederations Cup. The decision by Lippi to allow Casiraghi free reign to all these youngsters is astonishing. How many dismal performances by Italy does it require before the Paul Newman-lookalike wipes the steam from his glasses and recognises that his team needs a desperate overhaul.
Italy are set to travel to South Africa with the same old faces who were outclassed 2-0 by Brazil, and struggled to a 1-1 draw with an Ireland
team consisting of Championship-quality players. With Italy in such a weak qualifying group, Lippi had the perfect opportunity to purge his squad of the old, dead wood, and integrate the upstarts. This would have given them almost two years of experience by time the World Cup arrived.
Nine months into his second reign, and he has offered virtually no new opportunities. That is unless you count Simone Pepe, who is so clearly out of his depth at this level. The Confederations Cup was the perfect chance for some Azzurrini graduates to learn what senior tournament football was all about, but instead Luca Toni and Simone Perrotta will probably be competing to set a new world record for slow reactions.
Only one man can now offer Italy a bit of spark next month, but what are the chances of Lippi ending his childish grudge, and calling up El Pibe de Bari?
It seems that we will be seeing the likes of Luca Toni and Simone Perrotta at the Confederations Cup, following Italy Under-21 coach Pierluigi Casiraghi’s Euro squad announcement today…
Marcello Lippi is a world champion. Marcello Lippi has won every club trophy in the game. Marcello Lippi is one of the greatest coaches in the history of football. How can you possibly argue with a legend with such pedigree?
Well, the way things are going for Italy right now, it is impossible to be anything but critical of the great man.
In just over a year’s time when the Azzurri attempt to defend their World Cup in South Africa, we will know one way or another whether Lippi’s stubborn refusal to integrate any talented youngsters was misjudged.
This afternoon, Italy Under-21 coach Pierluigi Casiraghi named a 40-man preliminary squad for next month’s European Under-21 Championships. On the list were Fabiano Santacroce, Marco Motta, Salvatore Bocchetti, Domenico Criscito, Davide Santon, Mario Balotelli and Sebastian Giovinco – many of whom surely should already be a part of the senior national set-up.
All of these starlets will be flying north to Sweden, instead of down to South Africa for the Confederations Cup. The decision by Lippi to allow Casiraghi free reign to all these youngsters is astonishing. How many dismal performances by Italy does it require before the Paul Newman-lookalike wipes the steam from his glasses and recognises that his team needs a desperate overhaul.
Italy are set to travel to South Africa with the same old faces who were outclassed 2-0 by Brazil, and struggled to a 1-1 draw with an Ireland
team consisting of Championship-quality players. With Italy in such a weak qualifying group, Lippi had the perfect opportunity to purge his squad of the old, dead wood, and integrate the upstarts. This would have given them almost two years of experience by time the World Cup arrived.
Nine months into his second reign, and he has offered virtually no new opportunities. That is unless you count Simone Pepe, who is so clearly out of his depth at this level. The Confederations Cup was the perfect chance for some Azzurrini graduates to learn what senior tournament football was all about, but instead Luca Toni and Simone Perrotta will probably be competing to set a new world record for slow reactions.
Only one man can now offer Italy a bit of spark next month, but what are the chances of Lippi ending his childish grudge, and calling up El Pibe de Bari?
That's the kids young enough to play for the U21s. Toss in Gilardino and (assuming he stays sane) Cassano and the Azzurri attack could be really quite strong.
