OPINION: Italy should start Simone Zaza
The Juventus defensive block (Buffon+BBC) and Southampton striker Graziano Pellé (despite a recent knee injury) are the only players that will definitely start against the Diable Rouges, but who will partner the Saints’ striker up front? Eder, theoretically, but does the Inter man deserve to start against Belgium?
The 29-year-old striker failed to impress against Scotland in the last friendly game played in Malta, not to mention his terrible six-month spell at the San Siro, where he moved after netting 12 goals with Sampdoria in the girone d’andata. Here’s why Simone Zaza’s stocks are slowly raising.
Scorer of one goal every 120 minutes with Juventus during his first campaign at the J Stadium, Zaza has different features from Eder but he can still play as support striker and his commitment and ‘fighting’ attitude on the pitch are definitely what Conte is looking for.
Zaza scored Italy’s first official goal in European qualifiers against Norway on the 9th of September 2014. Will he be the first azzuri player to see his name written on the score sheet at EURO 2016?
Federico Zanon, translated by Lorenzo Bettoni
