By: COLIN REESE
While many of these players are likely call-ups for Italian national team coach, Cesare Prandelli, this is a thought exercise in picking 23 Italian internationals that can field the strongest Italian national team.
Prandelli is a master coach who brings out the best in Italy’s striker Mario Balotelli, a player that many coaches have labeled “uncoachable.” Prandelli has had no problems coaching Balotelli, and in fact, Prandelli has allowed Balotelli to flourish and take over games, which demonstrates how skilled Prandelli is at identifying talent and maximizing it.
Some of the players listed below are down the pecking order for Prandelli due to club form or somewhat recent returns from injuries.
Nevertheless, World Soccer Source backs this 23-man Italy roster with the obvious caveat that Italy has way too many world-class footballers than can fit on the national team. An omission of a player doesn’t mean that this writer doesn’t hold that player in high esteem.
Below is World Soccer Source’s Preferred 23-man Azzurri roster:
GOALKEEPERS: Gigi BUFFON (Juventus), Salvatore SIRIGU (Paris Saint-Germain), Mattia PERIN (Genoa)
Mattia Perin is thought of as the next great Italian goalkeeper after Buffon and Sirigu, the latter of the two is a world-class goalkeeper who has been Buffon’s back-up for several years.
DEFENDERS: Giorgio CHIELLINI (Juventus), Andrea BARZAGLI (Juventus), Leonardo BONUCCI (Juventus), Gabriel PALETTA (Parma), Angelo OGBONNA (Juventus), Ignazio ABATE (Milan), Mattia DE SCIGLIO (Milan), Domenico CRISCITO (Zenit St. Petersburg)
Amongst these defenders, it’s important to remember that Italy commonly uses three center backs with two wingbacks, and it’s also important to remember that both Chiellini and Ogbonna are not only center backs but also left backs in a four-man defense. Barzagli can also play as a right back in a four-man defense.
Italy’s defense can either be viewed as a five-man defense or a three-man defense. What it is is three center backs deployed right, left, and center with central midfielders plugging the gaps and holes in between the center backs.
Daniele De Rossi, listed below as a midfielder, also excels as a center back in a formation with two or three center backs.
Abate, De Sciglio, and Criscito are the three outside backs who can play as outside backs in a four-man defense or as wingbacks in a system with three center backs.
Hypothetically, players such as Candreva, Insigne, and Cerci listed below can play as wing backs as well.
MIDFIELDERS: Andrea PIRLO (Juventus), Daniele DE ROSSI (Roma), Claudio MARCHISIO (Juventus), Thiago MOTTA (Paris Saint-Germain), Antonio CANDREVA (Lazio), Alessandro DIAMANTI (Guangzhou Evergrande), Marco VERRATTI (Paris Saint-Germain), Lorenzo INSIGNE (Napoli)
Riccardo Montolivo, a Cesare Prandelli favorite and a quality regista or central midfielder, was omitted from this writer’s list in favor of Marco Verratti.
Diamanti was also included to give the roster at least one trequartista or at least something close to it. Without Francesco Totti, Diamanti seems like a wise inclusion. Sebastian Giovinco would have been an excellent choice for this reason as well. For this writer, Giovinco provides a certain level of creativity, speed, and guile behind the strikers that Italy could use; El Shaarawy can provide this sort of skill-set as well.
Cassano shouldn’t be forgotten either. Cassano partners well with Mario Balotelli. Cassano is a fantasista that plays as a trequartista or a second striker. Cassano might deserve a spot, in addition to being a needed player.
Cassano and Giovinco are classic examples of how difficult it is to choose Italy’s national team, and how there aren’t exactly right or wrong answers when dealing with players of this caliber.
Both Cassano and Giovinco are players that offer Diamanti’s qualities at perhaps even higher levels. A real toss up.
Insigne gives the roster a skilled winger, forward, and attacking midfielder that could line-up on the opposite side of the field from Alessio Cerci, listed below. Cerci is a striker that is also an excellent winger. Therefore, there are multiple wingers on this roster including the players mentioned above and Antonio Candreva.
FORWARDS: Mario BALOTELLI (Milan), Alessio CERCI (Torino), Ciro IMMOBILE (Torino), Stephan EL SHAARAWY (Milan)
Stephan El Shaarawy hasn’t been playing for Milan in recent months, which is due to falling out of the rotation when he was injuried. El Shaarawy and Antonio Cassano along with Giuseppe Rossi, who is close to coming back from yet another serious knee injury, have partnered the best with Balotelli because they are really more second strikers or support strikers, at least in El Shaarawy’s and Cassano’s case.
Cerci and Immobile are quite simply smashing in too many goals to not be automatic picks, not to mention the fact that they are sensational strikers beyond just having good goal-scoring rates.
Domenico Berardi probably deserves a roster spot, but Italy has way too many elite players.
Balotelli is Italy’s Number 9 and arguably the best striker in the world. Balotelli is a monster and totally compete striker. Super Mario is a prodigy and a phenomenon.
The American striker and Italian international, Giuseppe Rossi, is recovering from injury, and he will have to be tracked as well. If healthy, Rossi is considered an automatic pick.