Rejuvenate the defense
In the country where defense is elevated to the rank of art, the policy of major works launched by Roberto Mancini will go through an obvious reconstruction of the defensive sector, which has been too fragile in recent months.
Many executives are now aging and close to retirement: legendary Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini (37) will leave Piedmont to take early retirement in Los Angeles, MLS.
While his sidekick
bianconero
Leonardo Bonucci (35) is struggling to regain his solidity and regularity of yesteryear.
Alongside the Turin pair, there are not many solutions: Francesco Acerbi from Lazio (34) and Rafael Toloi from Atalanta (31) do not have the level to be the new block of future Italy.
The secondary solutions are far from reassuring for Roberto Mancini, who must install a defensive identity at the
Nazionale
.
The 94/95 generation, semi-finalists at Euro U21 in 2017, in which Alessio Romagnoli (27) then Daniele Rugani (27) made young Italians happy, is having difficulty confirming the potential predicted at the start of career.
Strengthen the environment
Central to Italy's European success, Roberto Mancini's midfield is probably one of the only areas that doesn't require major changes.
The Marco Verratti - Nicolo Barella - Jorginho trident, to which Manuel Locatelli is added, seems to represent the core of the Italian present but also the basis of the future of the
Squadra Azzurra
.
Versatility, complementarity, depth, cleanliness... The recipe is classic, mastered and known.
There are almost no ingredients missing in this medium to perform at a high level.
Add to this trio of prolific and efficient attackers, as well as a reassuring defense on raises, and Italy will find their romantic football, as unique as it has been envied.
A few young people will also be able to join these circles in the coming months: Sandro Tonali (22 years old), Samuele Ricci (20 years old), Nicolo Rovella (20 years old) and Edoardo Bove (20 years old).
READ ALSO - Jorginho and Verratti leaders, from a resplendent Italian environment
Find the offensive piece
It has been Italy's eternal construction site for almost ten years.
If most of the Italian attackers selected by Mancini have had solid seasons in their respective clubs in Serie A, they are struggling to transpose this efficiency to the jersey of the
Nazionale
.
In the line of sight, the striker of Lazio Rome, Ciro Immobile, who has never been able to maintain the same productivity with Italy, although he has scored 104 goals over the last three seasons with Lazio.
Same observation for Andrea Belotti of Torino who fails to seize the opportunities offered by Mancini to steal the starting chair from Immobile, his friend and former teammate.
Yet the
Gallo
has on his personal counter, at least 13 goals scored in the league in six of his last seven seasons.
Regularity, leadership and efficiency that are sorely lacking in this
Nazionale
.
Gianluca Scamacca, future striker for Italy?
PETER CZIBORRA / PANORAMIC
Youth in power?
For the attacking zone, Italy places a lot of hope in Gianluca Scamacca (23), author of a dazzling season in the green jersey of Sassuolo, with 16 goals scored.
A tall striker of 1m96, he is one of Inter Milan's summer priorities.
His team-mate Giacomo Raspadori (22 years old / Sassuolo), ten goals this season in Serie A, is also one of those intriguing young attacking elements that Mancini is watching closely, along with Sebastiano Esposito (19 years old / Basel), Emanuel Vignato ( 21 years old / Bologna), Lorenzo Lucca (21 years old / Pisa), Lorenzo Colombo (20 years old / AC Milan), Eddie Salcedo (20 years old / Inter) and Roberto Piccoli (21 years old / Atalanta).
On the defense side, a good wave of young defenders can represent real grounds for hope for Roberto Mancini: Lorenzo Pirola (20 years old / Inter), Matteo Lovato (22 years old / Atalanta), Andrea Carboni (21 years old / Cagliari) and Giorgio Scalvini (18 / Atalanta).
These defensive nuggets are already integrated into a collective system within major Serie A or Serie B teams.
The face of this defensive revival is Alessandro Bastoni (23) who continues to climb in Simone Inzaghi's rotation at Inter Milan.
To the point of embodying one of the strong links of the
Nerazzurri
.
And if the solutions were in the Italian training centers, which despite flaws, produce solid collective players?
