Love him or hate him, admire or revile him, Zdenek Zeman polarises opinion like no other football coach. Some fans find his brand of attacking football naive and simplistic whereas others believe his style is the only true way to play entertaining football.

However, having already written himself into Serie A folklore with his miraculous Foggia team of the early nineties, he is now threatening to do the same with a young Pescara side that have only just returned to Serie B.

Furthermore, a closer look at his squad and the tally of goals in the ‘For’ column of the league table, the vital signs suggest that Zemanlandia could once again be descending upon the top flight of Italian football.

The Foggia team that rocked Italy over 20 years ago stood out, not only because it performed above and beyond its natural capabilities, but that it did so by scoring an incredible number of goals through the Coach’s positive philosophy on how the game should be played. Zeman’s first season in Serie A (1991) saw his side score 58 goals, topped only by the champions that year, Milan.

But goals aside, the Czech tactician also has a sixth sense when it comes to spotting budding ability and allowing it to blossom into top class talent. His Foggia dei Miracoli team announced players such as Giuseppe Signori, Francesco Baiano, Igor Shalimov, Luigi Di Biagio, Jose Antonio Chamot and Dan Petrescu to the footballing fraternity. And his time with Lazio saw him launch a certain Alessandro Nesta, who would go on to become one of the best defenders in the world.

Zeman’s Pescara currently sits third in the campionato cadetto, having already scored 27 goals, 12 more than league leaders Torino. But what makes this squad so exciting and is drawing comparison with his Foggia team, is the collection of young players at his disposal that are starting to show signs of great promise.

Of these, Neapolitan Lorenzo Insigne is a name that has already grabbed headlines all over the peninsula. The diminutive forward is an important part of the Biancazzurri trident attack and his performances convinced Italy U21 Coach, Ciro Ferrara, to call him into the recent squad.

Standing at just over 163cm, the young striker repaid the former Juventus tacticians faith by scoring twice on his debut. On loan from Napoli, the young Insigne has been likened to Ezequiel Lavezzi by many fans and might even have his loan cut short to rejoin his high flying parent club in January, such is his current form.

Alongside Lorenzo Insigne is Juve youth product and the leagues top marksman, Ciro Immobile, who already has eight goals this season and has also made it into the Italian U21 squad. The team’s custodian, another Juventus player on loan and Italy U21 teammate is Carlo Pinsoglio.

Pinsoglio, it should be noted, having won the legendary Viareggio youth trophy with the Bianconeri in 2010, was also voted the tournaments best goalkeeper. In defence, the former Roma coach is showing huge faith in another 20 year old, Riccardo Brosco, who has only missed one game so far and has also debuted for the Azzurrini.

The midfield, however, has the most intriguing player of all. A young man that has come up through the Pescara youth system and a player that has only featured sporadically mainly due to injury, is Marco Verratti. This 18 year old was linked with a move to Roma over the summer and has been compared to legends such as Gianni Rivera and Andrea Pirlo. This trequartista blessed with huge technical ability, could yet become Zeman’s most precious jewel in an already well decorated crown.

All these young players have a potentially huge future ahead of them and the good fortune of being mentored by a coach with a track record for producing teams that rewrite history.

You wonder why I have them in my avatar in Sig now right?

My team<3. Glad people are seeing the talent of Pescara. Forza Pescara<3<3<3.

Let's get this vice Pirlo from Pescara then.

We all know we need one.

i giocatori della Pescara non si toccano.

TomJuve wrote:Let's get this vice Pirlo from Pescara then.

We all know we need one.

His Idol is Del Piero and his favorite team is Juventus.

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:

TomJuve wrote:Let's get this vice Pirlo from Pescara then.

We all know we need one.

His Idol is Del Piero and his favorite team is Juventus.

This settles it then. Scoop him up and loan him out until he's ready.

Then again, we'll end up waiting until he's 25 and worth 20 million euros then miss out on him.

Why is it that all new top young prospects in Italy are midgets?? Do the parents not feed them vegetables and goat milk when they are young and supposedly growing? Is the economy in Italy that bad?

juve_gigi wrote:Why is it that all new top young prospects in Italy are midgets?? Do the parents not feed them vegetables and goat milk when they are young and supposedly growing? Is the economy in Italy that bad?

Balotelli got a lot of that due to his Ghanaian heritage, goat milk is a free commodity in Ghana

elmystique wrote:

juve_gigi wrote:Why is it that all new top young prospects in Italy are midgets?? Do the parents not feed them vegetables and goat milk when they are young and supposedly growing? Is the economy in Italy that bad?

Balotelli got a lot of that due to his Ghanaian heritage, goat milk is a free commodity in Ghana

Haha, good point. We need more Ghanaian parents moving to Italy and having sex so their kids can be born there. That will save millions of dollars instead of trying to import all of that goat milk for free...

juve_gigi wrote:Why is it that all new top young prospects in Italy are midgets?? Do the parents not feed them vegetables and goat milk when they are young and supposedly growing? Is the economy in Italy that bad?

This generation, most hieghts are averging towards 5,8 according to my former Science teacher. Apperently there was a study or something.

The Economy in Italy? It's all fake, there is no crisis there(except for the south), just yesterday the news reported that when the Iphone came out, more than two thounsand people were waiting in line in Rome since 7pm to 9 am till the store opened for the Iphone, ready to spend 900 euros for it. That being said, it was one store, this was happening all over Italy.

But Pino did you read carefully Verratti? I'm telling you this kid is someone very, very closely you should look out for.

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:

juve_gigi wrote:Why is it that all new top young prospects in Italy are midgets?? Do the parents not feed them vegetables and goat milk when they are young and supposedly growing? Is the economy in Italy that bad?

This generation, most hieghts are averging towards 5,8 according to my former Science teacher. Apperently there was a study or something.

The Economy in Italy? It's all fake, there is no crisis there(except for the south), just yesterday the news reported that when the Iphone came out, more than two thounsand people were waiting in line in Rome since 7pm to 9 am till the store opened for the Iphone, ready to spend 900 euros for it. That being said, it was one store, this was happening all over Italy.

Italian kids would rather talk and surf the internet than eat...

Kids who are able to spend 900 Euro's?

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:Kids who are able to spend 900 Euro's?

mafia money doesn't count

elmystique wrote:

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:Kids who are able to spend 900 Euro's?

mafia money doesn't count

Well the Gouvernment already recorded that the whole country offically has 2 trillion Euro's, I can't imagine how much laudered and corupt money is out there that is not being accounted for. Making Italy also the 7th richest country... All this Economic crisis, is none sense. In Italy there is work, the problem is, the wages are low. The average person per capita gets paid 27 k.

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:But Pino did you read carefully Verratti? I'm telling you this kid is someone very, very closely you should look out for.

We already have a midget, Giovinco...

juve_gigi wrote:

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:But Pino did you read carefully Verratti? I'm telling you this kid is someone very, very closely you should look out for.

We already have a midget, Giovinco...

you mean Giaccherini
If only Pepe was a few inches shorter, maybe he could have been loaned out too

juve_gigi wrote:

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:But Pino did you read carefully Verratti? I'm telling you this kid is someone very, very closely you should look out for.

We already have a midget, Giovinco...

Being related too Totti, Riva and Pirlo... I'd go with both Midgets

if only Italian children had access to 3 square meals a day, perhaps..... this pandemic could have been averted...

elmystique wrote:if only Italian children had access to 3 square meals a day, perhaps..... this pandemic could have been averted...

Dont get me started with how much their offered to eat lol

Such a short generation.

What happened to people gradually getting massive?

Are we the last of a tall generation?

TomJuve wrote: Such a short generation.

What happened to people gradually getting massive?

Are we the last of a tall generation?

The future Italian generation...

juve_gigi wrote:

TomJuve wrote: Such a short generation.

What happened to people gradually getting massive?

Are we the last of a tall generation?

The future Italian generation...

Hahahahahahah that made me laugh.


It will be like the dawrf village on "an idiot abroad 2"
Only it will be in every village

Camurrìa.Sto.Stronzo wrote:But Pino did you read carefully Verratti? I'm telling you this kid is someone very, very closely you should look out for.

Cough, Cough... You're welcome...