After being drawn with Belgium, Sweden and Republic of Ireland for Euro 2016, many began to wonder who will travel to France with gli Azzurri. Serie A Scouted tried breaking it down.
On Saturday, Italy were drawn with Belgium, Republic of Ireland and Zlatan, uh, I mean Sweden. By no means will this group be a walk in the park for an Azzurri side that is still looking for an identity. In addition to the difficult opposition, Italy are theoretically in the toughest group but if you want to know more about that, you might want to read this. I will now channel my inner Antonio Conte (do I have to get rid of my hair for this?) and create my own 23-man roster for the tournament. Not who I think Conte will call, by the way.
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon, Salvatore Sirigu and Mattia Perin.
No surprises here. Buffon is the undisputed #1 going into the tournament and has continued to put in world-class performances this season. Mattia Perin, in theory, should claim the last spot and has been called up by Conte when fit. Sirigu, on the other hand, hasn’t played much first team football in Paris but has proven to be a quality backup as seen in Italy’s win over England in the 2014 World Cup. I would have included Marco Sportiello in here but a backup keeper must have experience therefore Sirigu gets the nod.
Defenders: Matteo Darmian, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Mattia De Sciglio, Andrea Barzagli, Alessio Romagnoli, Adam Masina (provided he chooses Italy over Morocco)
This is where it starts to get a little more interesting. So, Darmian, Bonucci, Chiellini and Barzagli are all nailed on to go to France for me. The blocco Juve have proven to be resolute at the back while Darmian has consistently been Italy’s best player in the qualifiers. The former Torino man, now injured, has struggled as of late at Manchester United but should be able to find his feet going into the tournament. De Sciglio, by contrast, remains a question mark. For Milan, he looks hesitant and unfocused. For Italy, he’s been pretty decent. He may be overtaken by his teammate, Luca Antonelli, for the spot but at the moment it’s his to lose as Conte trusts him. The last two defenders, in my opinion, must absolutely be there. Both Romagnoli and Masina have been fantastic for Milan and Bologna respectively and would add some youth to an otherwise experienced backline. Calling them up would also serve as a building block for the future as, in all likelihood, they will be making up the azzurri’s defence for years to come.
Midfielders: Marco Verratti, Claudio Marchisio, Alessandro Florenzi, Giacomo Bonaventura, Antonio Candreva, Daniele Baselli, Daniele De Rossi and Jorginho.
At the top level, simply put, you got to keep the ball to win games. How do you do that? With players like Marco Verratti, Claudio Marchisio, Daniele Baselli and Jorginho. A successful midfield also needs versatility and facilitators. That’s where Florenzi and Bonaventura come in. Both players have been in fine form this season and are what you would call true team players. Going into the last two selections, there’s quite a few players I could have gone with. De Rossi and Candreva have struggled for their respective clubs this season but typically perform when playing for Italy therefore they got the nod. Andrea Pirlo and Roberto Soriano were considered in their places but I think it’s time to move away from the former while the Sampdoria man is nothing more than a role player at the highest level at the moment.
Forwards: Lorenzo Insigne, Graziano Pellè, Éder, Domenico Berardi, Mario Balotelli.
Here is where I will probably get a lot of stick. Let’s start with the boring selections. Pellè and Éder deserve to be there as they led the line all qualifiers and did a solid job overall. Picking Insigne was also really easy considering the form he’s in and the fact that he offers something no other Italy forward can. Now onto Berardi and Balotelli. The former is what you would call a predestinato, someone who is destined for success. The Sassuolo winger has consistently put up great numbers in the league and has proven to be a difference maker. Concerns remain over his disciplinary issues but it’s nothing that Conte can’t handle. Speaking of disciplinary issues, let’s talk about the last forward: Mario Balotelli. I genuinely think he must be there regardless of his form. While Pellè and Éder have proven to be good in Conte’s system, you need quality to win tight games. Balotelli is capable of providing that flash of brilliance in a way that the other two centre forwards simply cannot. Sebastian Giovinco is a player who can provide that spark but he typically fails to translate his form on the biggest stage so he stays home, too.
Summary:
Before I finish, let me reiterate that these are my selections and not who I think Conte will take. There is a big difference there. Now, I’m curious to see who you have going to France. Tweet @SerieAScouted or hit them up on Facebook to let us know who you would like to see make the trip.
Final roster:
Goalkeepers: Buffon, Sirigu, Perin.
Defenders: Darmian, Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, Romagnoli, De Sciglio and Masina.
Midfielders: Verratti, Marchisio, Florenzi, Bonaventura, Jorginho, Baselli, De Rossi and Candreva.
Forwards: Insigne, Éder,Pellè, Balotelli and Berardi.
Close calls: Manolo Gabbiadini, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Antonelli, Stephan El Shaarawy, Roberto Soriano, Andrea Bertolacci, Andrea Ranocchia and Sebastian Giovinco.
(don’t kill me)
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