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Italian legends end International career: who will replace them?

Italian legends end International career: who will replace them?

  • Emanuele Tramacere (@TramacEma) | Translated by Jordan Russell (@JordRuss96)
The Azzurri will not be there; the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be screened on TV, and that’s as close as any Italian will be to the action. Let’s look at the reasons why, and deal with them as soon as possible. We have failed, and the shortcomings of the national team are there for all to see. Let’s put the disaster against Sweden behind us, and look to start again with youngsters who should represent the future of the side for years to come.
 
Giampiero Ventura’s biggest mistake was probably to relinquish control of the dressing room to the senators within the squad. Last night they were supposed to drag the younger players along with them on a wave passion and experience, but in actual fact the opposite was true. They slowed everything down and stunted the team’s growth. Gianluigi Buffon, Andrea Barzagli, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele De Rossi and God knows who else said goodbye to the Azzurri shirt at full-time, so who will now step up and save the Nazionale?
 
Now will certainly be a turning point, but one man who the team cannot do without is Leonardo Bonucci, who must be the leader of the new-look defence. Marco Verratti, Jorginho and Alessandro Florenzi must also be given the chance to stamp their authority on the side’s identity, as should the likes of Roberto Gagliardini and Federico Bernardeschi.
 
The attack needs to be revitalised because Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti cannot coexist; it’s simply not feasible from a tactical perspective. Lorenzo Insigne and Stephan El Shaarawy could be fielded together however as they both ought to be important parts of Italy’s future.
 
Italy will restart with Gianluigi Donnarumma between the sticks, as he has earned the right to be Buffon’s successor. In defence, Mattia Caldara must be given the chance to prove his worth; the same can be said for both Alessio Romagnoli and Daniele Rugani as well. As for the midfield, Bryan Cristante and Lorenzo Pellegrini should be getting called up, while younger options such as Nicolò Barella, Alessandro Murgia and Manuel Locatelli may also have a part to play.
 
The attack? Federico Chiesa must be at the top of the list for future call-ups, while everyone must live in hope that Domenico Berardi can recover his best form and emerge stronger from a troubling period at Sassuolo. For sure, he has the talent to succeed in the Azzurri shirt.