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Free Weekly Episode - Italy Take Nations League Bronze, #ManciniOut?, Euro 2023 Under-21 Finals Preview, Napoli Hire Garcia, Juventus Transfer Chaos & Much More (Ep. 334)
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From Italy losing to Spain but beating the Netherlands in the Nations League to win the bronze medal, Roberto Mancini's future as Italy coach, Federico Dimarco and Davide Frattesi breakthrough season where they could be teammates at Inter next season, to Napoli appointing Rudi Garcia as well as Juventus transfer market chaos and much, much more as Nima and Carlo break down all the talking points from an absolutely action packed weekend in Italian football.
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Transcript
Episode Introduction
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. Hello everybody and welcome to the Italian Football Podcast. I'm Carlo Garganese, here as always with Nima Tavalli. So the club football season is over but the international football is still ongoing.
Italy's Nations League Performance
00:00:19
Speaker
On today's show we will be talking about Italy's matches in the Nations League
00:00:25
Speaker
Italy were in the semi-finals and they lost to Spain but they beat Holland in the third and fourth playoffs. So we're going to discuss those games. There's been a lot of discussion about Roberto Mancini's position. Is he still the right man for Italy going forward ahead of Euro 2024? So we're going to discuss that and we're going to look at
00:00:47
Speaker
what we learned from these two games, the players who need to stay, the players who need to go, and the players who need to be brought into the setup. Also, we will be previewing Italy's Under 21s, who this week kick off their European Championship
00:01:04
Speaker
Euro 2023. So we're going to do a preview of the tournament. The
Club-level Changes: Napoli and Juventus
00:01:11
Speaker
transfer market, of course, is in full swing. It doesn't officially open in Europe till July the 1st, but teams are already doing business. So we are going to discuss a few big issues around that. Rudy Garcia is the shock appointment at Napoli. A huge, huge surprise. So we're going to discuss that.
00:01:32
Speaker
You've been to there's there's chaos still chaos that you've enters with their transfer situation. It looks like they're gonna have to make Over a hundred definitely over a hundred million maybe up to a hundred and forty million euros on sales Just to break even and before they can even think about selling to buy and so we're gonna look at their situation into I'll get in closer to David a for a taser the red hot favorites to sign him He was fantastic in his international break. We discussed that
00:02:02
Speaker
Also, Nima versus Martin Samuel beef rolled over into last week after the Champions League final. So I want to talk a bit about that as well. So we're at Badger and Prem Face of the Week. We have another cracker on Prem Face of the Week. We're going to have plenty of those over the transfer market.
00:02:22
Speaker
And for all our first time listeners, this is our free weekly episode, which we do every Monday. We review the weekend, the Serie A action. Of course, Serie A is over. There's still been plenty to talk about during the transfer market, plus all the biggest talking points in Italian football. If you want to support the Italian football podcast and receive all our content that we do throughout the week, including our weekly Q&A episode every Tuesday,
00:02:47
Speaker
where we answer all the questions sent in from our patrons, plus our weekly Thursday midweek review show, plus interviews, post-match reaction, and much, much more, then go to patreon.com slash T-I-F-P, and become a subscriber for just $2.99 a month, plus VAT, and for all of you listening on Spotify, iTunes, and Apple Podcasts. We'd really appreciate it, and give us a five-star rating, give us a follow, subscribe to us, run YouTube as well, all the social media accounts, and it really helps us to grow.
00:03:16
Speaker
Okay, right, let's start off with Italy then and the Nations League. Okay, so as I said in the intro, Italy played Spain in the semi-finals on Thursday. They lost 2-1 with a late win up from Joselou and that meant that Italy played in the third and fourth playoff on Sunday where they repaired a bit of the damage in beating
00:03:40
Speaker
Holland, who were the hosts, 3-2s. They finished third, bronze medal for the second successive Nations League. But the big overriding question, certainly after the Spain game, but even still now after the Holland game, is, let's start off with Roberto Mancini, and is he still the right manager for Italy, Neymar?
Critique of Italy's Tactics and Player Selections
00:04:01
Speaker
Yes, I think he is. I think it would be silly to get rid of him now, just because of
00:04:10
Speaker
You know, he's it's quite clear that what he's doing is he's looking for a new identity to build upon. And we're all watching that happen as it goes along and he's looking for tactical excuse me, flexibility and.
00:04:23
Speaker
And for a team that can play in many different ways and shapes and styles. And I think the Spain game to me, I like the formation. I didn't like the players used. I don't understand for the life of me why Bonucci is still in the international team.
00:04:40
Speaker
and players like that. I think, you know, it's not so much about their age. It's about the quality they deliver right now. And I don't think right now they, you know, some of these players are good enough to play for Italy, especially when Italy have the players they do and the level at which they can play at and the quality that they have. I mean, Toloy, Bonucci, you know, Oke Giorginio scored, sorry, Immobulus scored, but
00:05:09
Speaker
Is he really for the future? Even Georgina himself. I mean, it's time to move away from lots of these players. And I think given, like you said, there's so much quality coming up and there's so much young players that I think deserve a chance, I think it's time to phase a lot of them out. That's how I see the Spain game more than anything, to be honest. Yeah. If we start with the Spain game,
00:05:35
Speaker
For the first time of that Spain game, I entertain the question seriously that we may have to debate.
00:05:43
Speaker
what I may have to consider whether Mancini is the right man for Italy. I was totally a big backer of Mancini after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup. I thought that he made mistakes, he was too loyal to some of his players, but ultimately I thought Italy was just ridiculously unlucky to not qualify for the World Cup. It was stupid.
00:06:07
Speaker
you know only one team qualify and they just had one shot out of nowhere the night first minute it was just everything just seemed to go against Italy and i supported him and i thought almost felt like that was kind of vindicated by how well Italy did in the nation's league in qualifying for the semi-finals i mean it came out of a really tough group
00:06:25
Speaker
and with Germany, with England, and I thought that was vindicated. But 2023, up to and included in the Spain game, has not been good for Italy. And what I didn't like, what I saw in the Spain game, I thought, first of all, the performance was really bad against a very average Spain team.
00:06:48
Speaker
who were missing key players. I watched Spain again on Sunday night against Croatia and that confirmed what I saw against Italy that this isn't a very good Spain team at all, structurally and in terms of personnel. I think they're a decent team but nothing much more than that.
00:07:07
Speaker
I didn't like the formation. I know, I agree that, yeah, it's good to test out different systems, but it was basically 3-5-1-1 going on Allegri, allowing the opposition to have the ball. I didn't like that. I didn't like the personnel, though. That is, I think, the issue that everyone seems to have. And we've got a segment after this where we'll look at the players that need to stay and who needs to go. But you mentioned some of them, you know, in Marbello, Giorgino, Toloi.
00:07:36
Speaker
Bonucci, you know, I would add Cristante there even though he's not, you know, he's not old. Maybe Cristante can do a role in, in, in like a, like a role player, you know what I mean? Like a squad rotation player, but he's not someone like that. The issue I have with Cristante is that Italy have so much riches in this field that, you know, he shouldn't be anywhere closer to the Italy squad, considering what talent we have. And then, yeah, even spin at Solif, kind of for the same reason, like,
00:08:04
Speaker
We have such riches and let back. We have such great quality coming through, and I guess we'll see at the other 21s how some of them do. Look, I didn't like the fact that he's still playing these plays. He's still loyal to these plays. Even after failing to qualify for the World Cup, it's like, well, if you haven't learned your lesson after failing to qualify for the World Cup, when are you going to learn it? And Bonucci in particular, I mean, I found that
00:08:26
Speaker
selection just utterly ridiculous. I mean, he's been anybody that's watched him. Juventus fans who watch Juventus every single week will tell you that he's completely finished. But even those that watch him semi-regularly, you know, non Juventus fans, I think will agree that this is a player that's clearly passed it. His legs have gone and he makes mistakes and he made a dreadful mistake for the early goal for two mistakes. Actually, he got tackled twice. He got tackled, got lucky, won it back, got tackled again.
00:08:57
Speaker
And I mean he's 36. He's going to be a year older in a year's time. He's going to be a year worse. I mean, I just, I mean, I just, I didn't get it. And I just looked, Italy just looked stale. They looked like they needed to refresh, but they also lost
00:09:14
Speaker
that they lost their cohesion and their control of games. Now, even when Italy became predictable and a little bit sterile, which you could say against Macedonia in the playoff, they were maybe sterile. They had all the possession. They were dominating the ball. But we started entertaining the question, remember, Nima, have Italy been found out? Have they been found out? Have the patterns of play that they use during the Euros, have those patterns been found out by the opposition?
00:09:37
Speaker
Maybe they had, but at least Italy were controlling the game. They were still cohesive. They just weren't maybe creating enough. They weren't dangerous enough. Well, Italy had completely lost their cohesion and their control in the Spain game. They conceded far too many chances and they broke through the lines too much. Apart from Protezi, I thought that it was negative after negative in the Spain game. I did entertain that question after the Spain game. I have to be honest.
00:10:07
Speaker
They mentioned he repaired the damage in that Holland game. And that was really important. Because if he'd have lost that game, then I really think the knives would have been out for him. And I think he needed that win. And that game I think, and I pray, that will be the last lesson that he needs.
00:10:24
Speaker
that he made the changes, he went back to a 4-3-3, the shape looked much better, he made the personnel changes, you know, respiratory, reticue, nonto up front, for it's days he started again, DiMarco played, Bonjourno played, you know, he played much closer to the lineup that we wanted against Spain, but more importantly, there was new, there was younger, there was fresher players there, and as a result, it's, he did much better, they won 3-2, I didn't think they were outstanding, but we got positives out of the game, you know, DiMarco was fantastic.
00:10:52
Speaker
I mean, if there's any doubt now, Nimr, that this guy is, I don't want to say the real deal, I don't want to go that far, but that this guy belongs at this high level, then I think this was just further confirmation, because he was brilliant in the Champions League final against the best team you can play against. And again, in this game, I mean, him and Frotez will be the best players in the pitch with a fantastic goal. And the thing about DiMarco, Nimr, is he,
00:11:18
Speaker
Whenever he gets the ball, he doesn't give it away, he uses it, he never loses it, he always uses it well, but if he's in the final 30 metres of the pitch, he always makes things happen, whether it's through an assist, whether it's through a cross, whether it's through a shot that just went over, so he was great, and Fratesi as well, fantastic.
00:11:38
Speaker
Well, this is what I've been saying about Fratesi that I think it's a bit unfair to call him a poor man's Barela. I think he's a great player in his own right. And what I liked about the Spain game was to see Barela and Fratesi play together because I don't think there's a problem to play them together.
00:11:53
Speaker
um and and that's what i like the most about the spain game um but i do like fratizzi you know he he's taken enormous strides this season um and and and i'm glad to see that that he's getting the finally getting the recognition that he deserves for italy as well because i think you know if you watched him play this season you know you won't be surprised he's been very very good he's taken lots of strides and the same thing can be said about dimarco look the thing about dimarco is
00:12:19
Speaker
when he was very raw and unpolished until Yurich got his hands on him. And then since he came to Inzagi's inter,
00:12:29
Speaker
And Nzagi's really got this guy improving season by season by season. He's taking strides in his game and improving his weaknesses every single year. He's not taking giant massive leaps in quality, but he is improving. His positioning has improved. Like you say, his ball retention is very good now. He doesn't lose it.
00:12:53
Speaker
His decision making is improving. We know how good his left foot is. It's ridiculous in terms of crosses and shots and set pieces. It's always a threat and always will be. And that's the most important thing you want to see. He keeps improving year season by season. And that's a good thing for both Inter and Italy to know, to have. So, no, I think, you know,
00:13:18
Speaker
For me, Destiny or Dodgy potentially is probably a world-class world-beater. I'm just a little bit worried about the Spurs move might hamper him. But I think in terms of talent, there's no questions there. But we'll see. But I do think that Italy, you know, Italy have so many players on left wing back that they can rotate in and out. I mean, I'm a big fan of Parisi as well. I'm a huge fan of Parisi. Huge fan of Parisi.
00:13:41
Speaker
Yeah, they've got three there, and that's why I mean with spin at solar, even though, you know, spin at solar. Spin at solar can play in many positions. You see that's the thing. I would keep him in the squad. I wouldn't start him, perhaps maybe, but I'd still keep him in the squad.
00:13:53
Speaker
Well, if you can play on the right, yeah, maybe. But yeah, so I mean, I thought DiMarco and Fratizzi, they just offered this new, they just freshened it up for Italy. And they've got quality as well. And Chiesa, it was nice to see him score after a really tough season. He got the step over, he went past the best defender in history. And so that was really great.
00:14:17
Speaker
The first international goal in two years. I don't know whether this is more van Dyck being finished himself or whether it's more of a case or no, but seriously, it was great. It was great to see Kasey. I hope that that can give him the confidence that he needs. So, I mean, these were positives. There were still some negatives. I mean, the number nine
00:14:42
Speaker
problem persists. Rettigy was bad. His first touch is way off what is required of an international striker. He is so heavy. It's Lukaku at Man United level at times. But I want Italy to persevere with him because
00:15:01
Speaker
you know he's great in the air he's actually not a bad ball carrier when he turns and runs with it he can he can drive into some space and open the pitch up a little bit um but you know i want us the point i'm making is you know some of these players might not be
00:15:17
Speaker
the real deal yet, but I want us to persevere with these because, you know, the players that we're, the other players, the older players that I mentioned, like I'm Marbeller, like Benucci, like Giorgenio, well, we know that they're no longer able to give Italy what we need anymore.
00:15:36
Speaker
The new players, some of the new players might not be able to either, but they might. Do you know what I mean? So it's still the chance. So that's the point. That's why Mancini needs to be playing these young these younger players. And we saw that in the Holland game that it's actually better.
00:15:54
Speaker
to play these players and I think I want us to persevere with him. Toloy though, absolutely not. He was right back in the Holland game. He was caught out for the goal and he was actually caught out twice with two gap pro chances. I'm not
00:16:09
Speaker
I've never been his fan. I don't understand what he's got, what he's doing in this national team. He shouldn't even have been in the Euro squad. I was critical back then. I just don't see the greatness here. I don't understand what Manchini, why, you know, you want experience. That's great. But what experience are we? We're not exactly talking about, you know, Paolo Maldini at age 35, are we? You know, we're talking about a highly, it's a decent player. He's played at Atalanta for most of his career. He's got Champions League experience, but we're not exactly talking about, you know,
00:16:37
Speaker
some legendary player who's got breadth of experience that offers that that's indispensable to the squad. No, I don't think you've already got that level player who has that experience in the squad already and I'm sorry but this, you know, Mancini complains a lot about youngsters not getting the chance in Italy
00:16:56
Speaker
Well,
Italy's Tactical Future and Euro 2024 Preparations
00:16:56
Speaker
you have the chance to play young players and you still go with Toloy and Acherbi and Baluchi. So I would maybe look in the mirror. Acherbi is performing though. Acherbi is performing. He is performing, he's been outstanding. But he pocketed Holland less than two weeks ago. But my point is that you can't complain
00:17:17
Speaker
that there aren't any youth youth being played and then you start with Toloy and Bonucci, I'm sorry, and Chiro Immobule and Giorgino and then complain because especially in positions where you have options.
00:17:30
Speaker
Like, it makes no sense to me. Toloy should never play for Italy again. He should never have played for Italy, period, because he's not good enough. But... That's the thing. If they're still performing, you know, I'm fine. It's good to have... You need some experienced players in the scene for the younger players. It will make the younger players improve. They need to improve from playing next to these players as well as through getting the experience. But, you know, Toloy clearly, I mean...
00:17:54
Speaker
I mean, he's not a right back either. I know it's kind of a hybrid where they switch to they turn into a back three, but no, you know, he's just not he's just he's not he's not quick enough. He's he's he's just no, he makes mistakes. He was the worst offender in this match. And, you know, the point is that, you know, what there is, you gain nothing at all from playing him because one, he's not performing. And two, you know, you're taking away the opportunity of a younger player to to to to
00:18:23
Speaker
to develop. And even if those younger players that you play turn out to be not good enough, well, they're not going to be any worse than Toloy, because Toloy is not performing. And the same goes for some of those other players. And the best case and example is, look at one John in this game. I actually thought he did well.
00:18:42
Speaker
I don't think he was outstanding. I saw some people going overboard with how good he was. They go way overboard. It's still because he did two goals in this game and conceded too many chances for my liking. Against a poor, let me just say, a poor Holland team. Holland were a disaster under Koeman. He's a disaster of a manager. They've conceded 11 goals in three games under Koeman. They've lost three of their four games since he came on. So this isn't a good Holland team. So I don't want to get carried away winning this game.
00:19:07
Speaker
But when Giorno showed that, you know, bring, put in someone, give him an opportunity, and actually at the very, very least, he was no worse than the older players that played. In fact, he was better, but I'm saying at the very, very least, they can't be any worse, and he gives them a chance to develop. So, you know, I thought he was definitely a positive as well, but the key thing here is Mancini must learn the lessons now from these two games that we saw in the second game, that by playing younger players,
00:19:36
Speaker
that we can win, we can add more, have something to build on. I think there is something to build on and I think he just needs to learn the right lessons and I think he has. I think the Nations League, I don't think he took, yes, I mean personally I couldn't care less. I cannot express how little
00:19:55
Speaker
I care about the Nations League or the finalisima and these Mickey Mouse tournaments like that. I don't care about it. For me, it's still a friendly. It's a friendly like Trofeo Villa Moretti Cup. You know what I mean? It's just I don't care. But the thing that I care about the most is when you go into these European qualifiers in September,
00:20:18
Speaker
I want to see Italy with a clear idea and a clear identity against North Macedonia and the Ukraine. I really want Italy to have an idea. I want Mancini to be ready for those games, just like he was when he took over Italy.
00:20:32
Speaker
were a mess. He had a clear coherent plan, he put it into practice and then he brought in players to play, to adapt it and suited that plan. That's what I want to see him do against... And I don't want to see him return to this because the next game is North Macedonia Away and then Ukraine at home in September and they're must-win games. They have to win these games, both of them, in order if they're going to qualify. And I don't want him to go into that North Macedonia Away game, that Ukraine home game and think, right, these are big must-win games. I have to go with
00:21:02
Speaker
the experience. I have to have Immobole up front. I have to have Giorgino in sentiment field. I have to have, you know, spin that soda at left back. You know, I want him to go with the attitude that we had in the Holland game and just unleash some of these less experienced players. And, you know, so that is the absolute key. Because Italy are playing catch up. They're going to be playing catch up now. And there's only eight games in the group.
00:21:29
Speaker
So there's no room for error. It's a five team group and Italy have already played two games. They've lost one of them. There's no room for error in these small groups. Even though two teams qualify, they can't afford to make any more mistakes. So they have to win these matches. But if we can look at which players must stay and go and who should join up with Italy,
00:21:57
Speaker
Let's start off with the players that should not play for Italy anymore. I've got a list as well. Let me go first. I'll go first, and you can tell me if you disagree with any of these and if you would add any to these. Players that are out, I don't want to be part of the Italy squad anymore. Bonucci, Toloy, Emerson,
00:22:22
Speaker
Spin it so that I put a question mark on him. I want him out for now, but I want to monitor him because he could still potentially be useful. Florencia, Cristante. Cristante, not because he's too old, but because, as I said before, there's such an abundance of top quality central midfielders that I just don't think he should be anywhere near the squad.
00:22:44
Speaker
Jorginho, again, you know, let's see how he does next season. Maybe if he has a good season, he proves himself. Maybe he can come back in closer to the time. In Marbella.
00:22:56
Speaker
For the reasons I said, this is nothing personal against Immobolo, it's just that we know what he can and more what he can't do for Italy, and I just want to try someone else. Bellotti, absolutely not, and Greifo. So these are players that arrive in the later squad who have been in the last few squads that I don't want part of Italy anymore. Do you agree with that, and would you add or...?
00:23:17
Speaker
I want him to decide. I think at least you play a 3-5-2, not a 3-5-1-1, but a 3-5-2. And I want him to, and I think in that role, I think Immobulate can actually do still some, can still do something if he's got players close to him. But I mean, that remains to be seen because he's had a dreadful season with Lazio. Of course, there's been injuries and stuff, but he's had a really poor season and he's starting to look old.
00:23:40
Speaker
um, and and that's something that you know, he's he's a goal scorer and if he's if he's not even delivering that anymore and he's not Firing on all cylinders and I don't really see the point of having immobile in the squad But if you're going to play a 4-3-3, you can't have immobile or bellotti like these they're not good enough. You have to find someone else uh, but if since you've got retegi in the squad and you've got us you've got you know raspadori
00:24:04
Speaker
I think that's where I would go and decide on the formation and how you want to play. Although I get that he has a very fluid formation. That's why Toloi played right back, which really wasn't like right back as they played like a 3-5-2 essentially. But basically, if that's the idea, then get players into that. But I agree with
00:24:24
Speaker
Bonucci, Toloy, Florencie, you know, these guys, Immobile, Bellotti, Griffo, they were never, you know, yeah, move them on. With Spinazzola, Emerson, Cristante, you know, Giorgino, I'd still keep them, like, in my mind, but I wouldn't have them, I wouldn't build around them. They're not my core players, so to speak.
00:24:44
Speaker
Yeah, Emerson will have nowhere near. I mean, we've got so many quality left backs. I mean, Emerson doesn't get above, doesn't get above DiMarco, Parisi, Udoji, or Spinatsova. He should be nowhere near. I can't believe he even got a recall in that last squad before this one. Okay, well, let's talk about the core players then, because this is, I think is important that these are the players that are
00:25:08
Speaker
that should always be in the squad and that you build and supplement with the newer and younger players. So Donnarumma, and we've also got plenty of good enough backups, like Bikari and probably they'll, but let's say Donnarumma. Then Di Lorenzo Di Marco Bastoni.
00:25:28
Speaker
and a chair be providing he can he can yeah he continues playing like this yeah yeah absolutely providing he can maintain he's 35 now so you know but again catches up with you quick absolutely and that drop-up can happen really can happen and it does happen suddenly as well yeah but I mean if you're gonna play like this where he nullifies and keeps Erling Horland in his back pocket
00:25:53
Speaker
He has to start. In theory, Virati should still be a core player, but I am a little bit alarmed by the last few months by his drop-off at PSG. I think he's finished at this level. Also, he wasn't that good. I'm not going to write him off at 30 years old for a player that keeps the ball so well. I'm not going to write him off. Yeah, but there's even talk of him going to Saudi Arabia now.
00:26:14
Speaker
Well, we'll see. I hope that's not true. I would like to think that this is just a few months of bad form. So Virati, absolutely. Barela, Tonali, Fratesi, and then Chiesa and Nyonto. Now, these are the players that I want them to build the team and the squad around.
00:26:32
Speaker
That's the midfield. That's Italy's midfield for me. Barrella, Tonali, Fratezi. I don't care if it's a 3-5-2 or if it's a 4-3-3. That is Italy's starting midfield. Barrella, Tonali, Fratezi. Right now, those are the three that should start. Giorginio, if he continues to do well in the premiership, he can still have him on. He's a very intelligent player. Verati, same thing there with you. I mean, if he goes to Saudi Arabia, then, you know, goodbye.
00:27:01
Speaker
There's nothing to talk about, especially also if you take into consideration how he's looked for PSG this past, you know, for a long period of time now, for perfectly honest. But for me, Barrella Tonali-Flatesi, that's the starting field.
00:27:15
Speaker
The problem is who plays as the six, who plays as the regista, who plays as the lion. That's the thing, though. I mean, Barilla and Tonali are so versatile. I mean, that's the new midfield that we see now, that midfielders have to be able to do a little bit of everything. You can't just have one general regista doing one thing. No, no, that's true. But I think you still need someone with the natural attributes to be able to fill in. And I'm just not sure if any of those have got that. I think Tonali and Barilla between them could do that. Fratesi not just yet.
00:27:43
Speaker
But, you know, we'll see where he goes if he can become more versatile. But I think Barela and Tonali have shown that they are very versatile players. I just think that with these guys here, this core here, you've got more than enough experience, you've got more than enough players that have won already, won the Euros, that can provide what is needed.
00:28:06
Speaker
that to allow Mancini to just get rid of these other players that we mentioned before. There's no reason, you don't need to have all of those players just to be able to bring through one or two younger players. I think these are your core players and you keep these and then from around that you then bring in youngsters or new players depending on the form, depending on their development, depending on what is required for each particular
00:28:35
Speaker
match that's coming up. And those players, you know, some of these are not ready yet, some of them are not in good form at the moment, but, you know, Skalvini, Parisi, Cambiaso, Udoji, Gatti, even Belanova, Buongiorno, Ricci, Fagioli, Rovela, Raspadori, Zeniolo, Retiki, Shkamaka, even Moisaki, you know, Pavundi, like these kind of players, let's see how they develop, let's see how they do.
00:29:01
Speaker
Sprinkle this core players with these kind of players and they will do more. And I would put Skamaka into the core players. Retegi and Skamaka are put in there in the core players because you have to. You have to build around them. If you're going to, because there's not a single striker in that core player list, you need to have at least one. And I prefer to have Skamaka there. I think there's a player there, I think that
00:29:23
Speaker
As I said on this part, when the rumors started about West Ham, I said my belief was there was going to be a mistake, a huge mistake. I hoped I was wrong. I was proven right. Now he needs to return back to Italy and he needs to play regularly. He needs to get away from David Moyes as far away as he humanly possibly can. And he needs to rebuild himself because I really believe that he is the future. Number nine, the focal point for Italy. I really believe that.
00:29:50
Speaker
He's definitely the naturally and technically the most gifted and suited to the role in terms of joining the play up and bringing others into play and the quality that he has. But yeah, he needs to find absolutely the right club and right set up for him. But yeah, I mean, I've read down some of these names and you also have others that potentially could be useful, you know, depending on, again, depending on form and development, you know, the likes of Calabria,
00:30:18
Speaker
you know, Romagnoli, Casale, had really good seasons at Lazio, Locatelli, who we saw at the Euros, Pesina, who I think is very underrated, Castro Villa, who's a huge talent, you know, even plays like Politano, you know, you have to have Berardi as well. I think Berardi as well. I mean, there is quality there. The point is that, you know,
00:30:39
Speaker
You've got those core players, sprinkle it in with the best of these a lot depending on how things go. And this squad and team will do a hell of a lot better than taking those core players but having Bonucci, Toloy, Emerson, Florenti, Cristiano, these kind of players who are old and we know
00:30:58
Speaker
We've had the answers in the last two years of what they can provide, and that's not going to change. They're only going to get older. So this is what Manchini needs to do now, going forward. He has to. And if he doesn't, then he has to go. It's simple as that. He can't be loyal. He can't show any more loyalty to these. No, no, no. Enough is enough. Enough
Italy's Under 21 European Championship Preview
00:31:17
Speaker
of this Italian thing that they do about loyalty and stop it. It's a new tournament. The past is the past. You've already missed two World Cups in a row. Stop. Move over. Move on.
00:31:28
Speaker
Yeah, absolutely. We're talking about moving on, talking about the future. It is this week, the beginning of the Euro 2023, the under 21 European Championship, which is taking place in Romania and Georgia. And Italy have been drawn in group D.
00:31:53
Speaker
They have France in their group, which is going to be incredibly difficult. They're a fantastic team. But they've got Norway and Switzerland also in their group. So Italy will be fancying their chances of getting through the groups. If they do that, they will then play a team from the group containing Romania, Spain, Ukraine, and Croatia. And then in the semifinals, they will probably meet France again. So they're a little bit unlucky that they will have to play France twice.
00:32:39
Speaker
Chitadini from Modena, Lovato from Selenitana, Okoli from Atalanta, Parisi from Empoli, Pireola from Selenitana, Skalvini from Atalanta, Iannoma Udoji, Iannoma Udoji, Udonese,
00:32:47
Speaker
I'll read out the squad and then we can discuss what we think going into this tournament.
00:32:54
Speaker
Barve Roma, Salvatore Esposito from Spezia, Miretti Uve, Ricci Torino, Rovela Monza, Tonali Milan and in the forwards Cambiagi, Empoli Cancellieri from Lazio, Colombo, Milan on loan at Lecce this past season, Nianto, Leeds and Pellegri.
00:33:15
Speaker
Torino. So what's your overall view of that squad? I love that squad. I really, really like it. I mean, Karanaseki for me is the number one. Turati's had a great season and so is Caprile as well. So great goalkeepers. The defence I really like, especially Pari. For me, this is genuinely difficult. Do you play with a Mach 3?
00:33:43
Speaker
which I think I would do, or do you play with the back four, which would also work because you're really spoilt for riches. I think Cambiazzo is great. He has a great season, Parisi for sure. Scalvini or Dodgy, we know how good they are. Ocoli, I'm a big fan of. Lovato, Bella. No, I love this team. The fence is stacked. How the hell you have to leave out one of Parisian or Dodgy, it just feels wrong. It just feels really wrong. One of those is not going to start.
00:34:12
Speaker
Yeah, so I was gonna say to answer your question. It seems like they're gonna play three five two that well they showed because that's what that's what The coach whose name is now There's no name is no escape me No, Nicole. Oh, yeah. So parallel Nicole. Oh, so that's what he's intimated out that it's gonna be three five two Yeah, and that's fantastic because I get the midfield three that I want because then you can play Bella Nova or can be us on the right and
00:34:42
Speaker
You can play Ocoli, Scalvini, or Lovato in the middle, and then either Parisi or Udoji on the wing back. And then in midfield...
00:34:53
Speaker
OK, Ricci Ravella, Tonali has to start and he will. I think, you know, then you can choose one from Bove Esposito Miretti, Ricci Ravella next to him. It'll be one of Ravella or Esposito that will start, because they'll be the deep-lying player. I think Ricci might actually, I mean, I would have liked... Ricci can play as Metzala too, don't know? Yeah, but I'd like to see him as well. But we'll see. And then Miretti is done really well, and Bove is a player I'm really excited about.
00:35:19
Speaker
So the midfield trio is... No, there's lots of quality. That midfield is going to be up there with the best midfields in the tournament. No doubt about it. Maybe the best. And then up front, 3-5-2, for me, it's Colombo-Nianto. Like, that's what I would start. Lorenzo Colombo will start, and then I'd start Nianto next time. Yeah. But yeah, 3-5-2. I mean, Colombo, I think this is going to be finally the tournament that opens people's eyes to Colombo.
00:35:45
Speaker
I really rate this player and I think he's shown such maturity and calm and cool. He's got a good head on his shoulders as well and I think this is going to be the tournament where he wants to prove himself.
00:35:58
Speaker
Yeah, I think that Italy have a strong squad. I think they're definitely contenders. They definitely, I mean, they've got an excellent goalkeeper at this level, Kanasecki. They've got lots of quality and depth in defence, certainly in the wide areas and in the winged back areas. And the midfield, as we've said, lots of quality at this level, probably, I mean, I think probably the best midfield in the tournament.
00:36:25
Speaker
The issue for me is the goals in attack. I'm not saying there's not quality in attack. I mean, Nionto, we know, is a fantastic talent. I'm not saying, you know, Kambiagi's had a really strong end to the season. Yes, yes. With employee albeit in a different system. Okay, Cansevieri hasn't played much. Pellegri, I mean, he's been injured for years.
00:36:46
Speaker
Colombo, you know I'm a fan of him, but he's had a bad 2023 calendar year. So my question is, is there enough goals in this team? I think goals will come. That's the issue. No, I think the goals will come. I think the goals will come from the midfield and Colombo. I'm not worried about that.
00:37:10
Speaker
at all. I think Tonali is going to be someone they count on a lot on set pieces and to shoot because he's got a good shot on him actually. But no, I'm not worried. I'm not worried. I think there is goals in this team. I think Colombo is going to be incredibly important because he's a big lad. He's strong in the air and he's got a good head on his shoulder. This is his tournament to shine. You know how much I've been a fan of his.
00:37:38
Speaker
But I think this is his tournament. This is his time to shine. And I think someone like Bolve from midfield making runs in deep is also someone who's going to have a great tournament. At least that's why I hope.
00:37:51
Speaker
Yeah, it's hard to know who they pick. But my problem is this. I'm tired of the Italy under 21 having dream team after dream team year after year and having a manager that's just not good enough. Well, that brings me on. That was my other question. I've got two question marks about this squad. One is, do we have enough goals in the attack? And number two is the coach. I have to be honest. He's a
00:38:13
Speaker
This is like DiBiaggio, like I'm hoping it's not because I really think this is a quality side, but I have big questions over the under 21 selection coaching staff. And I have, and it's not just now, it's been continuous for years now. And I hope I'm wrong.
00:38:31
Speaker
I really do because I think DiBiaggio is one of the worst coaches I have ever seen at any level. But I hope that Nicolato is not that and that he can actually show maturity and tactical maturity that we've, that we're, you know, because we're not very, you know, he's not very well known. But we'll see.
00:38:53
Speaker
No, absolutely. Nicolato is a question mark. I'm not 100% sure on a 3-5-2, but I do recognise it is the most suitable for the players that we've got. We don't have maybe the
00:39:11
Speaker
enough quality and attack to justify playing three up front, in my opinion. So I can, for that reason, I think playing two maybe is the way to go. But yeah, I am, I'm not sure on Nicolata, I'm not, you know, he's, he's come, appears to me to be, yeah, a little bit
00:39:28
Speaker
a little bit dated in some of his football but we'll see we'll see we hope the players can do it i mean this is a tournament that italy absolutely dominated when i was a kid growing up they won i remember in the 90s they won three three three of these euros and then they won two in the early 2000s they see between 1992 and 2004 they won five of seven tournaments
00:39:52
Speaker
Which is insane, absolutely insane. But since winning in 2004, in Euro 2004, they've played in one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine Euros, and they've not been knocked out in the group stage four of those nine times. They didn't qualify for another of those, that's five, where they haven't got past the group stage. And then they've got to a quarterfinal, two semifinals, and then one runners up, which was 10 years ago.
00:40:21
Speaker
I mean, I'm reading an interview with Nicolato now that I thought was really interesting. I mean, he says, there's a big debate on tactical systems, but I maintain it's not a system that makes you win or lose games. Anyone who thinks like that is 30 years out of date. I don't believe there is a defensive and an attacking tactical system. It's just shapes that are more or less suited to the players. In 10 qualifying games for the Euros, we played seven with a 4-3-3 formation, one with a 4-2-3-1, two with a 3-5-2. And in the friendlies, we went with a 3-5-2.
00:40:49
Speaker
A coach must be able to use many different systems, then consider the players at his disposal and the strategy. Football has evolved, it's more about putting players in a position that will allow them to express their talent. We started playing 3-5-2 at the Under 21 squad because we didn't have any wingers available, and all our defenders at club level play with 3 at the back. It wasn't my own individual choice, I've been coaching for 35 years and 30 of those have been with 4 at the back, but if needed, I can and must adapt.
00:41:19
Speaker
I like that. I agree with the words, but it's easy to say words and then you have to just watch how he plays, watch how he seems to play. And about Nionto, I really like it. He says, look, I see Nionto as more of a striker, including a centre forward. He's played as a winger at club level and for Italy, but it doesn't seem like a classic winger to me. If anything, part of two up front or a centre forward in a 4-3-3 because he attacks the space and has that sprint in the final third.
00:41:46
Speaker
Yeah that was the interview that I read where it basically admitted he's going to play a 3-5-2 and I think that's for certain because he's only picked five forwards I believe so you don't you don't pick five forwards if you're going to play three up front
00:42:02
Speaker
And I agree with him on Junt or not being a winger and being more of a striker. I actually agree with him on that. I think he has the attributes to play both. I think he has the attributes to play both because he did play before he moved to Leeds for... Who was it he played for? Zevi. Sorry, Zurek, yeah, sorry.
00:42:24
Speaker
Yeah, when he played for Zurich, he played in a front two. He played in a front two for Zurich. I don't know where he played for in the inter-use system, but for Zurich, he played in a front two. And then for Leeds, he's played as a what winger for Leeds and looked fantastic once he made the break through there. So, I mean, I think he has the attributes to play, to blame both roles, which is good, which is what you want. That's what we want from modern players.
00:42:49
Speaker
Yeah, the only thing I would say is there's one team I do fear in this tournament, and in terms of quality of their play, and their form hasn't been that great, and that's France. France has an incredible quality in their squad. France, of all, in the recent years, them and Germany, they produce some incredible talent in the youth level. You look through their squad. I mean, Turan, who is the best Turan of the best of the Turan brothers. Really? You're not a fan of Marcus?
00:43:18
Speaker
Well, I'm a fan of him, but there's nothing there's Kepler and Suram definitely has the highest ceiling of the lot. I mean, did you see him in the season? I mean, wow, this guy is he's he's he's everywhere. I mean, Connie, I think is great. Or Lisa is on really well at Crystal Palace. This wahi has been linked to to a lot of the big European clubs, including Juventus, Kalimwendo, Cherokee, where query Manchini was trying to still check the international team.
00:43:48
Speaker
And so, I mean, they've got they've got so much quality. So I do feel like France are the biggest consentors. So it will be a good gorge to see how they get on. So we actually start their tournament on Thursday against France. Yeah. And speaking of Italian coaches, Antonio di Salvo at Germany in this tournament as well.
00:44:11
Speaker
going to be interesting to see how you're doing. That's right. That is right, yeah. Interesting. It's going to be interesting. Talk about coaches. Let's move on, talking about new appointments.
Napoli's New Coach and Organizational Concerns
00:44:21
Speaker
This, I couldn't believe it. I saw it on Twitter during the, I think it was during the Italy against Spain game actually, then the announcement was made, or just before.
00:44:31
Speaker
And at first, I thought it was a joke. I thought, this can't be true, surely. And then it actually happened to be too real. And that is that Rudy Garcia has been appointed as the new manager of Napoli. And the only way to describe this, Nimr, is just bizarre, no? It is bizarre. It is absolutely bizarre. He hasn't won anything in over a decade of importance. He got sacked from his job in Saudi Arabia. He had one good season at Roma, if you ask me.
00:44:59
Speaker
Um, did all right at Lille, you could say, but to take the, I mean, I've been trying to be quiet or I have been quiet about ADL because I thought he actually had a backup plan. Whether or not he did, this was not his backup plan. This was an emergency panic appointment. There is no way you can tell me that he was thinking that's Rudy Garcia was his first choice after Spalletti left.
00:45:29
Speaker
Um, there's no way that's true. Um, and you know, it's to me, sorry, Leon is, is the club I was talking about. He did all right. He won the league with Leo. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He won the league with Leon and Marce did all right with, but he didn't do, you know, but to me, this just tells me that De Laurenti's bit off more than he can chew and that he's risking here. This could turn out to be a fantastic appointment, but
00:45:57
Speaker
as the reigning champions of Italy, the team that could have maybe done something in the Champions League, Rudy Garcia, does not instill confidence
00:46:10
Speaker
in terms of keeping star players and wanting them to continue at night. I'm sorry. It's a huge mischance and it's a mischance at best. And it's a huge own goal at worst. In a sense, like you said, after what Napoli did last season, the squad that they have, we know they're going to lose Kim Minjae.
00:46:31
Speaker
But this was an opportunity to attract a top coach and and build on that. And, you know, Napoli, everyone's talking about Napoli, even even even prem faces are talking about Napoli. Like that's that's how you know what they did last season and the football they played and the story. And everybody recognizes, even prem faces recognize that Osseman and quite at Scalia. And there's no guarantee Osseman will leave, by the way, because De Laurentiis is asking for so much money. You know, that
00:47:00
Speaker
they've got these players that you think wow you know they can build on this you know and with a top coach they can they can attract some some players and who knows you know we've seen what they've done um and then they appoint Rudy Garcia and that it's it's it's a joke for me i'm sorry and i and from anopoly perspective i'd be furious i'd really be furious um but you know again
00:47:24
Speaker
First of all, if this was always, if you, he should have kept Spaletti, like this is a thing, this just makes the entire Spaletti situation look so stupid, even more even dumber than it needed to be because
00:47:40
Speaker
You should have just kept your coach. You should have just sat down with Spalletti, offered him a contract extension, and given him the wages that he deserves. Maybe not overpay, but also not underpay, and not just automatically extend his contract to piss him off, and he walks out the door, and then you go turn to Rudy Garcia.
00:47:58
Speaker
I mean, I don't know how much, do you know how much? I'm not sure how much really Garcia's getting paid. Obviously, I'm sure the financial side of things is the reason why De Laurentiis has gone for Garcia, because he's going to have a low salary compared to the other coaches. But when you add that to the salary that he's still going to pay for De Laurentiis, because he's going to be seeing out his final year, then- Spoletti, you mean? Yeah, sorry, Spoletti, yeah. So it doesn't really make much sense. And of all the options that De Laurentiis had, I mean,
00:48:26
Speaker
you know, he talked to Luis Enrique, then there was, you know, Nagelsmann was available and it's Italiano. But here's the thing, I mean, Luis Enrique going to PSG is a smart move, finally by PSG. So I understand that he wanted to go there because you and I both rate Luis. Yes, but PSG wasn't PSG's first choice. PSG were in negotiations that they basically had Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann then let them down at the last minute. When De Laurentiis was in the negotiations with Luis Enrique, PSG weren't even on the table.
00:48:56
Speaker
So he could have closed that deal if he wanted to. To me, that would have been a dream appointment. Yes. Now that is an appointment where you say, well, actually get rid of Spoletti. Maybe De Laurentiis had a plan, like you said, he had a plan and this was maybe a master plan and he's been approved. Because I think that squad with Luis Enriquez football would be, I mean, that would have been an attraction.
00:49:19
Speaker
Like, you know, and that's the funny thing is, like, I think when when Luis Henrique is Spain, I thought, well, they played fantastic football, but they didn't have a number nine. Well, here he had Victor Osman. So he didn't have a number nine. He didn't have any attackers. Yeah. So here he would have had Victor Osman. So I hope for Napoli's sake that this doesn't end up in the shithouse, to put it bluntly. But it's difficult to find it's difficult to find anything to suggest, well,
00:49:47
Speaker
Actually, maybe I think look I think you'll get them in the top four I think that's still you know based on where we are now on 19 June 19th when we're recording this and not too much has happened on the Mercado and it's kind of a sluggish start to most teams I think Napoli are still a top four side and I think you know Garcia really got to see is good enough to get them in the top four But he was that's not what de la rente said his own words were a dynasty and
00:50:14
Speaker
Rudy Garcia is not how you start a dynasty, I'm sorry. I could be wrong, but nothing in his career, nothing in his football to this point suggests that you build a dynasty with Rudy Garcia. Like you said, sacked by Al Nasser or sacked by Ronaldo. Yeah, exactly, sacked by Ronaldo.
00:50:31
Speaker
He was sacked by Ronaldo. They didn't get on. But, you know, since being sacked by Roma when was that 2016? He was sacked by Roma. He's only coached in France and then Saudi Arabia. No disrespect to those places. But I mean, it doesn't, you know, he's 59 years old. So he's coming. He's coming out of the elite. He's been out of the elite of football for, let's say, seven years. He's been, you know, they plunged him out of the wilderness, really, at 59 years old.
00:51:01
Speaker
OK, he got to the Champions League semi-final with Leon a few years ago, which was, I mean, it was a big surprise. But I don't know what's a grasp on. He plays a 4-3-3, so I guess that suits the players that Napoli have, so that maybe they won't be
00:51:15
Speaker
necessarily, you won't have to reinvent the wheel. The system is pretty much the same. The difference was that what made Napoli so good last season was the fact that they could alternate between a 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 in games. They had their wingers who were able to... Spalletti found the perfect system so that they weren't too easy to read.
00:51:35
Speaker
when they were firing on all cylinders. He had the full backs push up, he had the wingers invert, you had an Aussie man who was all over the place who helped them out. The midfield, that was fantastic. The best defender in Europe in the world last season, in my opinion, Kim Minjae, who allowed them to play with a high defensive line as well.
00:51:55
Speaker
If he leaves, who are you going to replace him with? And whoever it is is probably not going to be as good as Kim and Jay. You don't find players like Kim and Jay grown on trees. So there is going to be a drop-off. The question is...
00:52:09
Speaker
is that drop-off, is Garcia the right man to continue on Spaletti's work, or is he going to be a more rigid 4-3-3, which then creates lots of holes. And then if you don't find a quick defender who can replace Kim and Jay adequately, well, you've got a mess on your hands, because then La Napoli are going to hemorrhage goals. They're going to leave lots of space behind. And then he's playing catch-up. So
00:52:36
Speaker
There are question marks there, but having said that, if Kim and Jay is the only player Napoli lose, they are able to bring in a quick defender who can replace him well. They're still the champions of Italy. They're still a side with all the quality players they have.
00:52:55
Speaker
you know, what can Garcia do? Can he build on it? Can he maintain it? That's going to be the question. If I'm a Napoli fan, a negative thinking Napoli fan, I'd be thinking we've lost Spoletti and we've got Garcia in. We may lose Junzli and his close staff members, but even if we keep Junzli,
00:53:16
Speaker
Well, how motivated is he going to be? Because we know he's going to leave in a year's time. I mean, I mean, Juntley wasn't even told about Garcia's appointment. He didn't even know anything about it. Which is insane. Which is completely mental because like then you just brought in a coach over the head of your sporting director who you've worked so well with. It's just
00:53:44
Speaker
Where is the synergy? Yeah. No, but what are you doing? Like, you don't need to go full on crazy, you know, Roman emperor just because you've won one score. You know, what made you successful was that you had an organization in place despite, you know, you being bombastic. But now you've gone full on, you know, crazy Roman empire appointing his horse as secretary of state because you've won one battle.
00:54:07
Speaker
And it's like, well, this could easily, this could easily blow up in his face. And he doesn't, you know, it's a shame because I actually think that when you look at Napoli in the football, they played and what they built there, there was actually the building blocks in play to do something interesting for the, you know, to build something sustainable and long term.
00:54:26
Speaker
Who was that? Caligula, wasn't he? Yeah, I think it was Nero or Caligula, yeah. I mean, it's, you know... I love that story. Your name in your horse, Secretary of State. No, but seriously, it's like... Yeah, no, it's... Yeah, it is what it is.
00:54:51
Speaker
yeah it's it's it's people people i wasn't regular it was um it was um it was i think it was narrow i think no no he's definitely i think it was calligula he made him a console yeah he made him a minimum console but yeah he did lots of things he i think it was calligula who also
00:55:07
Speaker
ordered
Juventus' Financial Challenges and Transfer Strategy
00:55:07
Speaker
the Roman legions to attack the English Channel and take shellfish as prisoners of war. Yeah, well, maybe De Laurentiis will do that next, maybe. Yeah, but this is what I mean. It's just like, you know, stop, you know, this is the problem when you have someone like I actually think he's a very competent person. But the problem is that when you when someone's ego is when someone with a big ego has success,
00:55:34
Speaker
They tend to forget what made them successful in the first place. And I have a feeling that this would be the most Napoli thing ever, to have everything just explode in his face, and he chased out of town. With a little bit of patience and calm and diplomacy, they could have actually built something really historic and sustainable here. For example, they could have kept lucha nos paletti.
00:55:56
Speaker
For goodness sake, he's 64 years old. He wasn't going to go anywhere. You sit down with him, you say, look, I can't afford more than this, but we can actually do something. I'm going to keep this. Do something. But this notion of just extending his contract, not talking to him, and him just feeling like I'm done with you, then, you know, nah, it's silly. And then not even telling Junterly about it. That's the thing. Junterly didn't even know about it.
00:56:25
Speaker
Yeah, Kim was going to leave and ask him and potentially, but... But what's the point of keeping Giuntoli for the next 12 months? Like, do you know what I mean? Like, the whole thing just falls on his face when... Well, I think it's pretty clear that De Laurentiis is slowing down the process because he wants to mess Juventus up, which is, you know, I can understand. That's, you know, their arrival. You want to complicate things for your arrival, but you're actually
00:56:49
Speaker
you're actually stabbing yourself in the stuff as well. You're cutting your nose to spite your face. And that, to me, is stupid. That's it. They are. They're harming Juventus at the moment, Napoli or De La Rentais, but they're also harming themselves because Napoli are not able to do anything in the market either, really. Anyway, talking about Juventus, Juventus' transfer market is in chaos at the moment. They need to make over 100 million.
00:57:20
Speaker
Some have said, I think Romeo Agresti, who we're going to get onto the pod before the end of the month, he's promised to come on to talk about this in more detail, has said it could be as much as 140 million euros that Juventus need to make from player sales. This is what happened to Inter immediately after they won the scoretto and they won, you know, they had to make a net profit of 140 million to end the sale.
00:57:49
Speaker
Yeah, after the... when Conte resigned and left.
00:57:54
Speaker
And they came out of it pretty well. I mean, okay, they haven't won the Scudetto in the last two years, but they've shown that, you know, if you have the right people in charge, there is the possibility you can build something. Unfortunately, I don't think you can just have those people in charge. I don't have anyone in charge at the moment. But anyway, this is where Juventus are at, at the moment. Once they've done that, they then need to sell in order to buy. So they make the hundreds, 140 million, and then if they want to buy someone, they have to sell someone else, and then they will use that money to buy it.
00:58:24
Speaker
You can see that the situation that Juventus are in is not good, not qualifying for the Champions League. This is the money that needs to be paid back. Now, they will have to sacrifice at least one big name star this summer. It's probably going to be two, I think. I think it's going to be two. If you take into account what I've just said about them needing to then sell to buy for that reason, because I think they can probably make enough to pay back, to break even,
00:58:54
Speaker
By selling Vlovich, he's the chosen one, right? He's the one that they are going to try and sell to make. They've put a price tag on him of 80 million. I think they'll do incredibly well to get 80 for him, but that's what they're going for. They've already sold Kulesevsky for 30 million.
00:59:10
Speaker
They've already made just under 10 million from selling some small players like Tracucine and a couple of others. So they've already made close to 40 million already. So they need to basically make another 100 million. If they sell Vlovich for 80 or 70, that takes a big chunk of it. And then all of the midfielders who return from loan,
00:59:31
Speaker
you've entered to put up for sale. So we're talking Western McKinney, Zacharia, Arthur Mello, some other lone players too as well, like Luca Pellegrini, who was at Lazio. So, you know, they sell those, they will get over the mark, but obviously they're in a tough, very tough situation.
00:59:51
Speaker
They're in a complete mess. This is what they should have done. Had they sorted this out in just when Inter and everyone else had to after Covid,
01:00:03
Speaker
they wouldn't be here. Lots of things wouldn't have happened. First of all, they'd be in the Champions League this season, which would have eased the blow a little bit much more. But here they are. And you can't kick the can down the line too much either in life. You have to bite the bullet at some point. And this is going to be the season where they bite the bullet. And I think this is going to be the season where they
01:00:29
Speaker
basically look at it and go okay now it's what what what do what formation do we play who can we sacrifice we get rid of them try to bring in young and homegrown and then go from there and that's why they're so keen on fraternzi that's why they've been lit with you know so many of these younger italian players and i think that's the right way forward for all for all italian club for uva especially
01:00:52
Speaker
Yeah, no, absolutely. I mean, Romeo, like I said, Romeo will come on maybe next week and he will come on soon and he will go into more detail on kind of what the plans are. But I think a key aspect is, like you said, they need to
01:01:08
Speaker
pick a formation, a system, then build their transfer market in terms of outgoings and players coming in around that. That's something that Juventus haven't done. That is something that Juventus haven't done for
01:01:27
Speaker
I would even go date back as far as when they signed Ronaldo. Basically when Paratusi took charge of the ship, Juventus stopped building their transfer market around the formation. They just brought in players, some players that could play in some system, one system, some players that can play in another system. Last year was an absolute joke in that regard. They had certain players that could play in systems with wingers and some that couldn't. And the same with the defence, you know, you buy Bremme,
01:01:56
Speaker
who can't play in a back four, and only play in a back three, and then you have Kiesa, for example, who can't play in a team that plays in a back three. I think Kiesa can play as a second striker, like in a 3-5-2, I honest, or a 3-4-3. I really think that. I'm not saying it's a wing back. No, no, no, no. Never a wing back.
01:02:14
Speaker
but either as a winger in a 3-4-3 or as a second striker in a 3-5-2. Well, yeah, we've had this debate before. I disagree in a 3-5-2. He's never proven it ever in a 3-5-2. And he hates it as well. That's one of the reasons he wants to leave. But, you know, I think that, you know, the Juventus need to go back to saying, right, decide now. June the 19th, decide now. Next season, we're playing a 4-3-3.
01:02:38
Speaker
and we'll build our transfer market around that. No more of this buying players and then trying to sort the formation out afterwards and then chopping and changing and Legri's playing once. I know he likes to do that, but that needs to stop as well. He needs to decide, this is my main formation. Sometimes I might need to change it within games and if I've got adaptable and versatile players that can do that even better. At the starting point, the foundation needs to be playing a 4-3-3, playing a back three and we're sticking with it.
01:03:06
Speaker
That I think is dependent on, you know, there's rumors that Bremmer and Costage could be sold. Bremmer and Costage will be sold if they go back to a back four, because Bremmer is not ideal in a back four. And Costage would be a waste of space in a back four, like a complete waste. Yeah, he can't play there either. But if they were to go with a back three, then Kiezer, Ealing Jr. could be sold because they're not suited to that system. So that I think is a lot will depend on that.
01:03:34
Speaker
But they are getting rid of a lot of players. Quadrado, Paredes, Di Maria are all going to be released. Alexandro, they're looking to get rid of release him as well, even though he still has another year on his contract. But, as I was saying, we touched upon in the Napoli segment, is that Juventus are in limbo because Junzli's situation is not resolved.
01:03:58
Speaker
You know, they want him now, but they might not be able to get him for a year, a year's time. So Giovanni Manner, who is the director of the Next Gen. And has done a good job, let's be honest. Yeah, the Next Gen, yeah, absolutely. He's been the caretaking sporting director at the moment.
01:04:16
Speaker
So he's in an interim role, which is not ideal at all. So, you know, as we stand, you know, it's kind of like nothing is really clear right now, other than we know, Juventus need to make all this money back and then take it from there.
01:04:31
Speaker
Yeah, it's a mess. It's a mess. It's not how you want to start your transfer market because you want to start it early. You want to be on the front foot and you're already planning and that gets you ready. Preseason training starts actually not that long until preseason training starts only a few weeks ago. You know, you want most of your players there. Yeah, if you're going to play in the conference league, what are we talking, four weeks, three weeks from now? Girls. Yeah. Yeah.
01:04:55
Speaker
Yeah, so it's a mess. But like I said, we'll get Rameo on and I'm sure he will be able to explain a little bit more. I wouldn't be surprised if Artur Mello was somehow reintegrated back into the U of S squad properly. Not with Allegri, I mean Allegri's even come out and said,
01:05:14
Speaker
he doesn't suit my football. So I mean, he'd have to go back on that. But I mean, I would not be surprised if Allegri, if, if Althomelo is at Juventus next season, though, because there's no market for him. No. I think I'm smart enough to understand that in the situation he's in.
01:05:32
Speaker
I don't think Allegri's not an idiot, despite what you think. He's not. He knows what he's doing. And I think he has a very pragmatic approach to life and football. He looks at what he's got. He looks at the situation and he thinks, OK, well, I have to make this work and then I will make it work.
01:05:49
Speaker
So I think we'll see what happens in August, but I wouldn't be surprised if Artemello had a second spring at Yuba. If he can stay fit is the key. That's the key. Yeah. If he ever had a first spring, I don't know. Well, he had it at Barcelona. He wasn't a bad player at Barcelona. Yeah. I mean, at Juventus, he wasn't sure he had the spring. Yeah, but Juventus has been a burning dumpster fire for like four or five years now.
01:06:17
Speaker
Protesi to Inter, what's the situation there? The situation is this. After two summers of having to end it on a profit of both summers combined, somewhere around 190 million, they are in a situation where it's one out, one in, meaning plus minus zero, which is a fantastic and vast improvement on previous seasons.
01:06:46
Speaker
What that also means is that Frates, he's been very clear, he doesn't want to leave the Serie A, which I think is incredibly wise of him. I wish more Italian youngsters would take that advice because I don't think they go into the Premier League and because, you know, Italians, you know, also the Italian mentality like you're you know, they should stay in the south of Europe. You know, they like that lifestyle. You know, England is different. It's a different climate. It's different food. It's different culture. The media is different. Everything is different.
01:07:14
Speaker
Spain, Portugal, Italy, they're not too different. I
Inter's Transfer Market Balancing Act
01:07:19
Speaker
think he's showing maturity that he's like, no, I'm not ready for a move abroad yet. I want to stay here regardless of how much money I'll make, essentially.
01:07:30
Speaker
Inter have pretty much a deal in place with them. I think it's Mulatieri plus 35 million. It's a loan with an obligation to buy over two seasons, also known as the Vepa Marotta special. But then in order to do that, they have to sell a player.
01:07:45
Speaker
And that's why I think the reason why these Barilla rumors started was because if you don't understand football very well, and you understand that Fratesi and Barilla are very similar, and you say, well, one of them has to leave in order for the other one to come in,
01:08:03
Speaker
And Ergo, you see the circus, we saw about 50 million pounds, which seems to be some sort of mental glitch in the heads of the English mainstream media that Barela's worth 50 million pounds and not a penny more. They've decided that for everyone else. The problem is that it's not their decision to make. And Inter basically laughed at the whole thing and said, he's worth 100 million, like go away. So, you know, 100 million, let's talk.
01:08:28
Speaker
euros. So I think Brozovic is the one that they have to get rid of. It's either that or Barrella or Onana. And for me, you don't sell Onana and you don't sell Barrella. If you have to make space, for me, even though I love Marcelo Brozovic, don't get me wrong,
01:08:49
Speaker
But I mean, out of those three, who's younger, who's got the most potential, who's got his best years ahead of him, or who has most of his best years ahead of him? Well, it's Barilla and Onana are younger, and they have their best year, more peak years ahead of them than Brozovic, 30-31. It's just that simple. It's a shitty situation, but here we are. Inctor and the settlement agreement with
01:09:15
Speaker
as well, for violating UEFA's financial fair play rules, which is a joke.
01:09:21
Speaker
especially when you have Chelsea doing what they're doing with Saudi Arabia, who PIF, who are now pretty much in bought parts of the investment.
Financial Dynamics in Football
01:09:32
Speaker
Yeah, I'm sorry. We have to talk about this. This is absolutely ridiculous. Everything that we're saying about the financial goal from football and how the Premier League is a Super League and how it's just impossible for any other league or team from any other league, with the exception of PSG, competing with the Premier League.
01:09:50
Speaker
And now we have a situation where the PIF, Newcastle's owners, have billions of pounds of assets in Clear Lake, who own the majority stake in Chelsea. And the PIF are also funding for Saudi Arabian clubs.
01:10:07
Speaker
that they are now selling all of Chelsea's fringe players to these clubs that they fund in Saudi Arabia. I mean, this is financial doping. Well, not really. I mean, look, I understand what you're saying, but it's legal. And you can't really argue because the difference here between ridiculously inflated sponsorship deals is that here, at least there's actual players moving.
01:10:33
Speaker
You know, this isn't unless they are paying 180 million pounds for Coulee Ballee in transfer fees, you can't say that they are financially doping because someone like Coulee Ballee came for 40 million. They sell them a year later for 30 million. That's not that's not financial doping like that. That's that falls within the kind of perimeter. This isn't plus Valenza gate. You know what I mean? But
01:11:01
Speaker
For me, the broader issue here is how is it okay for investment companies or companies to own several clubs in one league, which is essentially what PIF are doing now. It shouldn't be multi club ownership, it should be banned full stop.
01:11:26
Speaker
No, I agree with that. In any league? Yeah, in any league. But now it's been expanded to the same league. I mean, it's just... Yeah, and Cheffering essentially said, I mean, what was it? A few weeks ago, what was that interview he did? He said, we're gonna have to get used to this. And then he talks about financial fair play. And he talks about fair play full stop. It's ridiculous. The football is turning into WWE now.
01:11:51
Speaker
No, that's exactly what it is. I mean, you just, you just have to, you just have to laugh at it and just say, it's, you know, this is again, why I am in favor of the European super league because there's a current paradigm is turning into an absolute joke. It's turning into, into, into Vince McMahon's WWE. They're trying to invest in Sheffield United as well. No, of course not. Why wouldn't they? Why wouldn't they? I mean, when there are no laws and rules in place, I'm not having to go at PIS.
01:12:21
Speaker
they want to invest in their following the framework. They want to invest in their league. And I think what they're doing with the Saudi league, let's remember Saudi Arabia is a big country. It has a huge population. It has a football mad population that has
01:12:41
Speaker
has a long history as well. There is football culture in Saudi Arabia, even if most people in West aren't aware of it. As someone who has origin from Asia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Japan, these countries have football history and culture. And what they are doing now is they want to build their own league. They want to open it up. They want to professionalize it. They have a huge fan base.
01:13:10
Speaker
in, you know, those stadiums, you know, go and watch the Saudi League. It's not a Mickey Mouse League anymore. They have fans, you know?
01:13:22
Speaker
And they're just trying to improve their league. And I'm not surprised that they're bringing in Kante and all these players, you know, Colibale, Kante, Ronaldo, all these, you know, they want to grow their league. Their goal is to host a World Cup. They've seen Qatar do it. No problem with that. No problem at all. Football's for everyone. It's for the globe. You know, the problem is here is, you know, we're Premier League. We've got to a point now where
01:13:48
Speaker
you've got somebody, or you've got the PIF that are funding multiple teams in one league. I mean, what's going to happen? They're going to own the whole league. That's because UEFA aren't doing their jobs. That's the problem. The problem is that Cheffering and UEFA have no problem with this. They're in favour of this because it suits their interests. But their interests aren't aligned with what's good for all of European football. UEFA's in it for their own sake because they have power and money. They're trying to protect that.
01:14:18
Speaker
And European football is suffering as a result of that because there already is a European Super League. It's called the English Super League. It's more famously known as the Premier League. And now it's going on overdrive and steroids, where you're going to see more and more companies invest in several different clubs in the Premier League. And that's just going to make the Premier League just dominate even more at the cost of everyone else.
01:14:45
Speaker
So the European Super League is now more than ever. Football's completely done. It's completely, club football is completely done. I mean, what kind of a joke is this now? Really? What kind of a joke is this?
01:14:58
Speaker
I mean, but the thing is, I just want to say, just to be clear, the Chelsea thing, well, here they're actually selling players. Do you know what I mean? It's not inflated sponsorship deals. They're selling players for market prices. Where they're backdating contracts. Yeah. But they're not overpaying. I mean, this is, we have to wait and see, again, if Cooley Valley goes to Saudi Arabia for 100 million euros. There's no way in a million years they were ever going to sell Cooley Valley for 30 million and there's no way they're ever going to find a team also that would pay his salary as well. And it's the same goes for all players. But still, but that's not the point.
01:15:27
Speaker
That's not the point. The point is, how much are they actually going to pay for it? It's still quite important, though, because if there's no market for a player, then you're just... Well, there is a market for a player. Now, somebody... This is what I mean. There is a market for this player. They want this player. Well, there's no... The only offers available for these players are loan deals. They can't sell these players. There's only loan deals. All the offers for Cooley Valley are loan deals from Italy. Like for Inta, Inta wants to sign Cooley Valley, don't they?
01:15:51
Speaker
He's one of their offers. Now they can't sell him because they're going to sell him for 30 million or whatever it is to a Saudi Arabian club. Yes, it's different. It's different. It's different. It's much different. I wouldn't call this financial doping. For me, I mean, again, it depends. If Kulibali is sold to Saudi Arabia for a ridiculous overprice, inflated price, then we can talk. But that's not what we're talking about here. We're talking about a player who joined Chelsea for 40 million a year ago and has been sold a year later for 30.
01:16:19
Speaker
Yeah, but they wouldn't sell him if they didn't buy him themselves for their own same entity. Well, they're not. It's the same entity that's buying him though. Yeah, but at the same time, this is what I mean. You can say it's legal or illegal, but it's totally wrong. This shouldn't be permitted in football. As long as you allow it, it's going to happen. And the fact that they are not only not wanting to allow it, they're in favor of it. You heard what Chefarin said. I watched his lips move when he said it.
01:16:48
Speaker
I mean, he said it. This is where he wants football to go. And then people have the audacity to talk about football being saved and, you know, and football being fair. How? I mean, it's a joke. No other professional sports allows this level. Well, that's what football has become. It's become a complete joke. It really has. They've destroyed it. OK, let's finish with Bad Joe in Prem Face of the Week. Bad Joe, Nimah. What you got?
01:17:19
Speaker
I don't really have that much. I don't really have any. I think, you tell you what, I was thinking Flatesi because I think he's been really good for Italy, these two games. That's the only thing I've got, to be honest. I don't really have a badger. I don't think we've seen anything badger-esque this week. Okay, fair enough. Prem face. I've got two.
01:17:44
Speaker
I'm going to go for our good old friend Rory Jennings, Rory the Tory as he is known, who described Declan Rice as a, I quote, bargain at £100 million. £100 million Declan Rice is a bargain.
01:18:01
Speaker
And I don't, Declan Rice with prem faces, they're just obsessed with him. They are just obsessed with Declan Rice. It's this, again, another hallmark of the prem face. If someone runs, works hard, puts in lots of tackles, they appreciate them so much more than they do skillful players. I don't know what it is, but Declan Rice seems to be the poster boy of it. And yeah, he's on the way to, it looks like he's gonna be on the way to Arsenal, although Man City might.
01:18:29
Speaker
might come in. And, you know, I think Decromise is a good player. He's not my type of player. He's a good player. He's not my type of player. I think he's exceptional at protecting the back four, protecting the defense, that kind of role. But I think with the ball, I think he's very, I think he's limited. And I don't think he's somebody that
01:18:47
Speaker
controls the play, and I don't think his short game is good, and the little triangles that he can play, and all that kind of stuff, which I think you need for big clubs. He's just not my
Season Wrap-up and Playoff Highlights
01:18:57
Speaker
kind of player. I appreciate the role that he does. But to call it a hundred million pounds, a bargain, if I'm right, I mean, yeah, insane. My second... Let's remember that Rory Jennings is the guy who said that
01:19:15
Speaker
about Erling Horland that he was going to be an absolute flop. He wouldn't score 15 goals. Yeah. And then he apologized to be fair. We've got to be honest. He apologized to Erling Horland and said, yeah, I was...
01:19:31
Speaker
Yeah, I'm sorry, I was wrong. He called Eileen Horland 8th, predicted him to be a flop transfer. And I can't remember, there was a guy in the room who, when he said that, had his face buried in his hands and couldn't even look at him because they were so dumb when he said it. But yeah, he apologized. But yeah, this is the guy who says these things.
01:19:56
Speaker
Yeah, the second prim face of the week is, it's not really a prim face. It's just somebody that did something really stupid and bad. And that is the referee in the the the playoff to get into Serie B, Serie C playoff between Fodja and Leko.
01:20:13
Speaker
He was the first leg and Fodger would draw one all at the time in the first leg of his tie in Fodger and full disclosure Fodger on my dad's hometown team is where my dad's from. Isn't Zeman there? No, no, Zeman's at Pascala.
01:20:32
Speaker
Oh, he's back there now. Sorry. Yeah, you're right. Yeah, you want to actually be Pascada in the in the play. The playoff routes in city are ridiculously long. You have to play like a thousand rounds. It's like a thousand home and away rounds to get to the to the playoff final. Fodger went free. It must have been about four or five to get to the to get to the final. They played against Leko. And so, yeah, the first leg, they're drawing one. And Fodgers were completely valid goal. Nothing wrong with it. Go to one up.
01:21:02
Speaker
Their striker scored, former interplay actually, scored the goal. And the referee disallowed it for a push.
01:21:11
Speaker
I mean, watch the replay. I mean, the guy doesn't even, barely flicks his shirt. I mean, doesn't even, barely touch him. He's the most ridiculous, disallowed guy anyway. I love that you're angry at this. A minute later, a minute later, another chance for Fodja. Fodja players charging in, about to head it into an open net. A Leko defender comes up and with two hands pushes him out of the way of the ball and the ball goes over.
01:21:38
Speaker
is a clear push, it should have been a penalty, and probably a red card as well. And the referee gives nothing. So in the space of a minute, he disallows a Fodger goal for the lightest touch ever, and then doesn't give a Fodger a penalty for a massive push from the Lekkor player. Fodger totally dominated this first leg, and then Lekkor scored this wonderful free kick, like three minutes from time, a miracle free kick from miles out. They won 2-1, and then he went to the second leg,
01:22:07
Speaker
and Fodger actually went one nail up in the second leg and then they had another in the second leg they had another dodgy penalty given against them let go equalizing Fodger lost their heads and they and they lost so Fodger stay in city achieve
01:22:20
Speaker
So I'm very angry. I love this. You going down the pyramid of Italian football and getting all angry about it. Well, you want to hear something funny about it. I've got a good friend, actually. He's a Fodger fan. He was going mad about it. But the funny thing is, I don't know if this is true. It sounds like this is something that is the kind of thing that Italian football fans would do. But it went viral on Fodger Twitter and Fodger Twitter.
01:22:49
Speaker
I love this. I love this.
01:23:03
Speaker
And it went everywhere. It was spread around all social media, Facebook. Oh, I love this. I have no idea if it's true or not. Something tells me that it's probably bullshit. It probably is. I found that hilarious. Oh, it's so funny. It's like this is Italian football. The madness of Italian football is just this is when it's at its best. And the further down the system you go, the pyramid you go, the more to the core you get. They are. They are so passionate. I mean, if you'd have seen the fans in the stadium and
01:23:33
Speaker
you know, for a game down this far down. And I think that is one thing that is beautiful about Italian football. The passion lower down for the team. I mean, I would say one thing, Leko, it's their first time in 50 years they're in Serie B. And so, I mean, it is a nice story for them. Yeah, of course. Fodja got cheated, man. Yeah, justice for Fodja. Oh, that's brilliant. That's absolutely brilliant.
01:23:56
Speaker
So that is actually it now, officially the club season I believe is over, unless there's some other playoffs further down, I don't know. We'll see. The Mercato, the club season is now over for Italy at least, that we can say. I don't know of any other football going on right now in Italy, a club level.
01:24:20
Speaker
in one of the Serie A, Serie B, Serie C, Serie D at least. That's it. So we can call it there. Maybe there's some other football going on at the lower level, but I'm not aware of that.
01:24:31
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. Right. We will be back on Tuesday for the Q&A. Then Thursday we will do the answer. Yeah. The Mercato special. Yeah. Absolutely. With Simona Tonia. Yeah. I've already confirmed with Simona. So we're going to do it then. I'm so pumped. And there's lots to talk about. There's lots to talk about because Inter are actually very active in terms of who's coming in and who's going out. So that will be a really good show. Yeah, for sure. Obviously a big talking point, Gulip Ali, Lukaku, Lukaku,
01:24:59
Speaker
He also has offers from Saudi Arabia, by the way. Yeah, he does, but he doesn't want to go. No, he doesn't want to go. Which is good. He wants to still play in the top level of European football. I don't know, man. I have this thing where I'm thinking, you know, I understand if Simone wants Lukaku and all that, but I wouldn't mind if, you know, based on what we've seen, I'm not entirely convinced of keeping Lukaku would be such a good idea. It's probably not in the medium to long term, but you know what?
01:25:27
Speaker
exactly might feel, you know, I want to win the Scudetta next season. Yeah, fair enough. You've entered through a mess. Napoli look like they're in a bit of a mess. Milan, well, they're not. Well, yeah, but at the same time, Milan are buying, you know, OK, Maldini sites, my Maldini signing. But what's his name? The Japanese players name alludes me.
01:25:45
Speaker
Yeah, that's the one. I mean, he's gonna be good for them. I think they're after Marcus Turan was on a free transfer. We'll see if he goes to PSG. If he goes to Milan, I will be very pissed off with Inter. Because I think, again, like with Di Bala, instead of owning the player, you're going after someone you don't own. And I think Marcus Turan is someone Inter already wanted instead of Correa. And now they could have gone on a free, and instead they insist on beating the dead horse that is Romelu Lukaku. I mean, I don't know, man. It's annoying.
01:26:12
Speaker
Well, enough about horses in today's show. Let's leave it at that. Like I said, back on Tuesday for the Q&A, so we will see you then. Until then, ciao ciao.