Italia: La Nazionale II

I'd be very happy with Florenzi---De Rossi---Jorginho.

It's sad for Montolivo if he's picked up an injury but if it means Jorginho will go then it's a blessing. Also for the best that any lingering fitness issues, be it with anyone, manifest themselves now rather than later. An injured player's no good to anyone.

There are conflicting reports concerning Conte's 23 man list, which is not yet official, but it seems that Jorginho has been left out.

The Gazzetta initially leaked a list that included him but his agent has since come out and stated that there is no chance of him going to the Euros.

Sky's squad of 23 seems to confirm this. Absolute disgrace. Glad Conte's leaving after the tournament. Doesn't even have the decency to plan for the team's future.

Italy Squad: Buffon, Sirigu, Marchetti, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Ogbonna, Darmian, De Sciglio, De Rossi, Motta, Florenzi, Giaccherini, Sturaro, Parolo, Bernardeschi, Candreva, El Shaarawy, Eder, Pelle, Immobile, Zaza, Insigne.

Rugani, Zappacosta and Benassi will remain with the side as reserves.

Jorginho is out, his agent confirmed. Poor choice. At least Montolivo is out as well. The midfield can take shape, its almost surely gonna be:

Candreva, Florenzi, De Rossi/Motta, Giaccherini, Darmian.

Up front

Insigne and Pelle

I hope they play it tight and do everything to minimize chances from the other teams, I think that's Italy best bet. Against Scotland we saw that, but it was Scotland. Finland is next on June 6th.

Marchisio and Verratti really brought Italy down with the injuries.

THat midfield

Jorginho out

Workrate overload

@Onyx

Italy Squad: Buffon, Sirigu, Marchetti, Barzagli, Bonucci, Chiellini, Ogbonna, Darmian, De Sciglio, De Rossi, Motta, Florenzi, Giaccherini, Sturaro, Parolo, Bernardeschi, Candreva, El Shaarawy, Eder, Pelle, Immobile, Zaza, Insigne.


highlighted those who should not go. had awful club seasons.. Conte is so awful with team selections.

Drops Jorginho and Bonaventura but brings along fodder like Sturaro, Giaccherini, and Parolo LMFAO.

Thiago Motta #10

I remember the days back when there used to be arguments on who should be Italy's #10. It was the 2002 WC and there was a Del Piero and Totti camp. Fast forward 14 years and a 34 year old DM is the #10

I won't even get into the other names on that squad. I hope Conte gets exposed badly. He claims Italy has no chance, but looking at his team selection, he's the reason why. It's because he brings a pussy like Parolo who cries when the occasion gets too tough. I'll never forget Parolo's body language against Uruguay back in 2014. Conte's bringing provinciale players who will do an awful job, but will be credited for running (:

I'm not even against the versatile workhorses. Every coach has that player who isn't very talented, but can play multiple positions and always puts in a shift, but Conte's squad selection is FILLED with them.

I don't even recall who's in Italy's group, but rest assured they'll be knocked out in the groups, quarters at best.

He has a quality workhorse in the form of Florensi. Still needs more :S

My Italy would be

Buffon
Bonucci - Barzhagli - Chiellini
Florenzi - DDR - Jorginho - De Sciglio
Insigne - Pelle - El Sharawy

Casciavit wrote:Drops Jorginho and Bonaventura but brings along fodder like Sturaro, Giaccherini, and Parolo LMFAO.

Thiago Motta #10

I remember the days back when there used to be arguments on who should be Italy's #10. It was the 2002 WC and there was a Del Piero and Totti camp. Fast forward 14 years and a 34 year old DM is the #10

I won't even get into the other names on that squad. I hope Conte gets exposed badly. He claims Italy has no chance, but looking at his team selection, he's the reason why. It's because he brings a pussy like Parolo who cries when the occasion gets too tough. I'll never forget Parolo's body language against Uruguay back in 2014. Conte's bringing provinciale players who will do an awful job, but will be credited for running (:

I'm not even against the versatile workhorses. Every coach has that player who isn't very talented, but can play multiple positions and always puts in a shift, but Conte's squad selection is FILLED with them.

I don't even recall who's in Italy's group, but rest assured they'll be knocked out in the groups, quarters at best.

Well , it's not first time  Italy has these weird choices with midfielders  

In France 98 the N° 9 was given to Demetrio Albertini

Too much worry about dropped players who were not going to be starters, although Bonaventura and Jorginho do deserve to be selected, if their absence is the difference in Italy's performance than we have much bigger problems to address.

Tiago Motta getting #10 hurts my soul though, I thought Aquilani was the worst player I saw wear #10 for Italy in my lifetime, not that Motta is even that bad, its just a number uncharacteristic for him to have in this squad

Way too much fuss about Motta getting the 10, let him have it. Who else, Insigne? Eder? would rather see it on Motta, he is a veteran and has represented Italy well, he is also the playmaker here. My favorite would have been De Rossi but he has his reasons to wear 16. No doubt he wears it better than Aquilani.

Since Montolivo/Jorginho didn't go I guess De Rossi and Motta won't play together. 1 of them will play regista at a time. I'd want to see them together but it might be to static for Conte if he sees them like that. Bonucci will have an even bigger role in this team with no Pirlo.

Florenzi is a sure starter. Parolo, Sturaro or Giaccherini? I think it should depend on the opponent, against Belgium perhaps it should be Parolo.

Conte should have just called up Padoin as well and be done with it. Can't wait for him to blame the lack of talent in Italy for our performance at the end of the tournament.

Jorginho completed more passes than anyone in Europe this season but can't even make the squad when Marchisio and Verratti are injured.

Motta getting the 10 is a side issue. Buffon could wear it for all I care.

rincon wrote: Parolo, Sturaro or Giaccherini? I think it should depend on the opponent, against Belgium perhaps it should be Parolo.

None of them should be in the squad tbh.

3-5-2 never worked for Contes Juve in Europe. And It wont work for his Italy. No creativity in that side. And still he cant realize that.. Italy has scored SO few goals recently but Conte fails to see it as a problem.

I rate Parolo but Sturaro and Jack-A-Rinny over Bona and Jorginho

Motta wearing the 10 tells you how elegance has vanished from Italian football. It's like a pizza with nothing but tomato sauce and cheese.

"From Berti to Thiago Motta: the number 10s of Italy"
http://video.gazzetta.it/da-berti-baggio-thiago-motta-numeri-10-italia/5db52f4e-2751-11e6-a050-c3f35f458dcc

cool video.

We really need creative players of the new generation to take the step in quality like the previous failed to do. Lets hope Insigne, Saponara, El Shaarawy, Bernardeschi and Berardi make it.

Berardi not being the the squad is just mindblowing. Eder over him? What?

13-0 to the Empoli primavera

Ventura to take over after Conte. Solid choice

I haven't idea how many times it's happened ( probably never ) but the best Italian CF plays in Serie B.
He's Lapadula.



I can't believe to have hyped Immobile time ago

Best Italian CF is Calleri, and he plays in Brazil

Ventura started his tenure.

Spoke about continuity with the team Conte left and then transitioning into the youngsters.

Marchisio, Verratti, Perin and Donnarumma were mentioned besides the 23 that went to the Euros. As well as Romagnoli (as an example) for when Barzagli retires.

Also was asked about players going for lesser leagues (Pirlo, Giovinco, Pelle, etc.) and said that it can be but that its difficult.

First call ups form this week from Ventura:

GK: Buffon (Juventus), Donnarumma (Milan), Marchetti (Lazio)

DF: Antonelli (Milan), Astori (Fiorentina), Barzagli (Juventus), Bonucci (Juventus), Chiellini (Juventus), De Sciglio (Milan), Ogbonna (West Ham), Romagnoli (Milan), Rugani (Juventus)

MF: Bernardeschi (Fiorentina), Bonaventura (Milan), Candreva (Inter), De Rossi (Roma), Florenzi (Roma), Montolivo (Milan), Parolo (Lazio), Verratti (PSG)

FW: Belotti (Torino), Eder (Inter), Gabbiadini (Napoli), Immobile (Lazio), Pavoletti (Genoa), Pellè (Shandong Luneng)

Bolded some of the changes from the euro squad. Verratti of course joins cause he is fit again. Donnarumma becomes the youngest player to get called up for the NT in like 30 years. Romagnoli and Rugani join in defense. Montolivo the scrub is in the team, Bonaventura form Milan as well. Belotti very deservedly joins the team, Gabbiadini in for Zaza as well. Pavoletti joins from Genoa too, not sure about that one., but I guess his goals deserve a look.

Except for Montolivo all those are young players so Ventura is living up to his reputation.

Other than the "soft transition" and the rejuvenation project that he set out to do, its kind of a weird call up.

7 CBs!! this must be just to evaluate them and see who will stay later on. 3 man backline basically confirmed as well.

Only 2 fullbacks (De Sciglio and Antonelli). It sounds like midfielders will be used wide (Bernardeschi, Florenzi and Candreva).

5 CFs seems like too much as well. They are all fairly versatile except for Pelle, so I guess it works in a 2 man frontline. No Insigne and no El Shaarawy is a bit strange since he said that width was gonna be his thing. It must be due to fitness.

I'd guess the usual BBC backline + Buffon. Pelle and Eder to start to ease the transition. Candrev and Antonelli on the wings?

Fantastic to see that Donnarumma, Romagnoli, Rugani and Belotti have been called. I had expected Berardi as well though at least Ventura's talked about him specifically so I'm sure he'll be in the next squad.

I'm most disappointed that Jorginho has been left out, he should have been called in place of Montolivo. I would also have liked to see Saponara and Vasquez amongst the names but I didn't expect them in truth.

It was wise to drop Sirigu after his performance at the Euro. If he can once more get regular first team football he's probably worth a place but given how rusty he is, he's a liability at this moment in time. I don't trust Marchetti either though given the past two years of his career. I imagine Ventura didn't want to call two new keepers at once but we've a selection of similarly talented shot stoppers who are better ages and in better form, any of whom would have sufficed.

As for the abundance of central defenders, it's probably just a case of evaluation, but it still seems like a waste of time to call Astori. Especially given the lack of fullbacks, but that will hopefully resolve itself when the season settles and we know more about the situations of Darmian, Zappacosta and others.

Hopefully we also see De Rossi and Parolo eased out over the next few squads. De Rossi has been a fantastic servant but with his physical issues and age, we need to invest time in someone else before the next World Cup. Parolo gave us one good tournament, for which I'm grateful, but we can do better than a veteran track athlete with a decent shot for the next tournament.

I'm thinking this is Pelle's last call up since he just moved to China. De Rossi and Parolo will be good for the qualifiers, maybe Parolo will be in the WC if he keeps up the fitness. I wanna see Benassi but he is only 21 so he is with Berardi, we'll see how much space they can make for themselves.

Jorginho must be in the team for Montolivo. The thing is that Ventura said there would be no revolutions but building on Conte's work, so it makes sense that the first call up looks similar. Jorginho and Marchisio have to be included as soon as they are available.

As for Vazquez, he closed the door on Italy and wants to be called up for Argentina. I wanna see Saponara too, but not in this call up so early.

Ventura is said to go either 3-4-3 or 4-3-3 in the long run. I'm excited for that.

“El Shaarawy went to Euro 2016, but there was no role in the 3-5-2 for him. The same holds true for [Domenico] Berardi."

Great move Ventura... Berardi is injured atm, but saying he and ElSharawy dont have spance in the nazionale? and likes of Eder and Pelle still have?