One of the few international breaks scheduled for this season has just ended, the first after the bitter World Cup in Qatar where the Italian national football team did not participate, especially considering that in July 2021, at Wembley, we became European champions by defeating England—a victory still resonating in our memories but swept away by the disappointment of the fatal defeat against North Macedonia in the World Cup qualifiers. Coach Roberto Mancini, however, has remained at the helm of the Azzurri, promising to reach the 2026 World Cup in the United States.

During this break, many discussions have arisen, particularly regarding some statements made by the coach in a press conference, related to the call-ups and results, which, in a normal context, would be acceptable, since a defeat against the more prepared English team and a victory over Malta as the outcome of the two games does not scream scandal. However, the chain of events that led to this situation has sparked many debates. One of these involved the call-up of Mateo Retegui, a 1999-born Argentine-Italian forward from Tigre on loan from Boca Juniors, who responded to his first call-up with 2 goals in 2 matches. The fact that he is an Argentine player, called up for the first time by Mancini, triggered controversies among professionals and fans, as he was thrust into the Azzurri environment as if he had been bought rather than being truly Italian. Retegui is neither the first nor the last “oriundo” (Italian-born player of foreign descent): in the Under-21 squad, Bruno Zapelli, also Argentine, was called up among the Azzurrini. There have been and will continue to be other oriundi, including in future call-ups, as Mancini himself stated in the press conference.

The absence of fully available strikers for the coach led to this choice, which Mancini compared to the way other national teams obtain players from other countries and naturalize them to play. With this strategic choice, there is an opportunity to broaden the talent pool at his disposal. However, let’s not forget the talented young Italians who are already showing the qualities necessary to play for the senior national team, such as Colombo, Udogie, Fagioli, and Miretti (although he is injured), who were called up during this break to the Under-21 team by coach Nicolato, just to name a few.

The debate expands with the recurring theme echoed in all opinions about the Azzurri: we have few talented young players, and these are not being utilized. This is evident to everyone when considering that the percentage of Italians playing in Serie A teams, apart from a few exceptions, is very low; this phenomenon is dangerously spreading even to the youth sectors, where Serie A Primavera teams are full of many foreign youngsters, leaving less space for potential talents born in Italy. Here, the problem can be explained in two ways: either there is no longer potential among Italian youngsters to become champions, or Italian clubs are mainly concerned with results and lack the courage to give more promising youth players from their academies a chance. Returning to Mancini, it is surprising to hear his praise for Pafundi, the 17-year-old forward at Udinese, in response to his call-up for this break, followed by his inconsistent lack of use, possibly due to a lack of boldness or because he was not considered ready.

Mancini’s words and current management have sparked debates because they come after a triumphant European Championship, even from a gameplay perspective, which raised expectations to the sky, only to see them plummet after a dramatic debacle against Macedonia. Following the failure to qualify for the Qatar World Cup, it was thought that all players should be sent home. But the prospect of calling up new players and combining them with the talented homegrown players, who are not few and are already showing their worth, could build a solid and successful national team for the future, making all Italians rejoice in future competitions, like that recent (but also past) July 11, 2021, at Wembley.

Mancini indeed has the great responsibility of delivering results, but also the big challenge of relaunching Italy, silencing the criticisms, which in some cases are exaggerated and shortsighted, typical of fans and professionals.

by Marco Munari

Napoli seems like a perfect machine. With just one loss in the league and a solid 15-point lead over Inter in second place, Spalletti’s team is on its way to a historic Scudetto, their first since the Maradona era. This situation seemed unthinkable after the turbulent summer experienced by President De Laurentiis: Napoli not only parted ways with their historic captain Insigne and symbolic player Mertens (not renewed despite his willingness to stay) but also sold Koulibaly and Fabian Ruiz, both nearing contract expiration and sacrificed for modest fees to avoid losing them for free. In essence, the team’s core was dismantled.

Yet, this past summer, De Laurentiis once again demonstrated his management philosophy: with a solid project based on the ideas of coach Luciano Spalletti, Giuntoli (Napoli’s sporting director) brought in young, unknown players, contrary to fans’ calls for high-profile signings. Leading this list are Kvaratskhelia and Kim.

What unites most of Napoli’s players is their exponential growth in recent years. They are all players developed and improved under Spalletti, proving once again that ideas and hard work on the field can triumph over money and assembling a team of big-name players. Osimhen, Kvara, Di Lorenzo, Lobotka, Kim, and others exemplify this.

The Napoli model is an example of sustainable soccer. In today’s game, achieving great sporting performances while maintaining financial stability seems nearly impossible. All major teams face challenges in this regard, yet Napoli has shown that with a competent sporting director in the transfer market, a skilled coach on the bench, and the right mix of young talent, experienced players, investments, and sales, sustainable soccer is still possible.

By Andrea Dapavo