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Extended Clip - Who Will Make Italy Squad For Euro 2024? (Ep. 380)
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After Italy qualified for EURO 2024 in breathtakingly dramatic fashion, Nima Tavallaey and Carlo Garganese discuss, debate and analyze which players could make the cut when Luciano Spalletti names his Azzurri squad for next summer's European Championships in Germany.
This is an extended clip from this weeks free Monday episode of The Italian Football Podcast which is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google podcasts.
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Transcript
Italy's Euro 2024 Squad Predictions
00:00:02
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast. First of all though, I want to discuss the squad. I want to discuss who is going to go to Euro 2024 for Italy. It's still obviously a long time to go and a lot can change. But I've worked this out and I've split this into two sections.
Impact of Squad Size Reduction
00:00:21
Speaker
First of all, I'm going to read out the players who I think are already on the plane, who are guaranteed to go. And then we'll discuss those that are fighting for a spot and who the options are.
00:00:32
Speaker
who me and both Nima and myself would actually select ourselves. So the guarantees are, let me just first of all specify it's now a 23-man squad. It's not 26 anymore. Euros and the World Cup, it was 26-man squads. They increased the squad because of COVID. Now it's back down to the usual 23.
Guaranteed Selections for Italy
00:00:54
Speaker
And so the guarantees are Donaruma in goal is a guarantee in defense. Di Lorenzo and Di Marco are both guarantees. And then at center back, I have a chair being Bastani as guarantees. In midfield, I think Barela obviously is a guarantee and I would add Locatelli to that
Who Should Be Italy's Goalkeeper?
00:01:12
Speaker
as well. I think he's a guarantee as well. Tonali would have been a guarantee, but obviously he's suspended and he misses the finals. As for the attack,
00:01:20
Speaker
I only right now have one guarantee and that's Chiesa if he's fit. Apart from that, I don't think there's any other guarantees right now, but I mean you can argue against that. We'll come down to the pool of players that we have. So let's start off with the goalkeepers. Goalkeepers, three goalkeepers will be chosen as always. As I said, Donaruma is a guarantee. The other options are Vicario, Provedel,
00:01:43
Speaker
and Merritt. The way I see this NIMA is, as it stands, Vicario is a certainty if it's picked right now because he's been maybe the best goalkeeper in the Premier League. I was going to say. But it's going to be two from those three for the other two spots. Would you say there's no one else really, is there, that's in there? No. I'd say it's Vicario and Provodel as things stand today. But I mean, we're eight months away, so it's impossible. But yeah, no, I think it's things stand today, Vicario and Provodel for me.
00:02:13
Speaker
I mean, those three are the best. It's not even close like a merit. God bless. No, not compared to Provedel and Vicario because of the kinds of goalkeepers they are. I mean, don't add almost the number one.
00:02:24
Speaker
I mean, the third goalkeeper I think has barely ever played in a tournament ever in any nation in the history of football. So I mean, it doesn't really matter. But yeah, I'd agree. I think right now it's Vicario Procteo right now. But then again, I guess Spelletti Meret was Spelletti's goalkeeper, Napoli, that might, you know, he might have more of a chance because of that. But yeah, those are the goalkeepers. That's an easy one. Right, right back.
Evaluating Italy's Defensive Lineup
00:02:51
Speaker
I should say first of all that Italy will take either eight or nine defenders. That's how it will be. It will be eight or nine defenders. So you would usually divide that between two right backs, two left backs, and four center backs. And then if you pick a ninth,
00:03:08
Speaker
you would usually you probably pick someone that's more of a utility player that can maybe play as a center backhand as a full back or both full back positions. So that's all up in the air. But if we go on the premise that there's going to, first of all, there's going to be two right backs. I think obviously Di Lorenzo is a guarantee. Right now we're looking at Darmian as the backup, aren't we? Right now.
00:03:27
Speaker
Yeah, no, without a doubt. I think you're spot on. But the other options are Calabria, Lazary, Florenzi, Belanova as a very outside option. Those are the other natural right backs that we're looking at. But assuming Darmian keeps up his form, I mean, he's going to be 34, so he could lose his form.
00:03:51
Speaker
We're looking at Darmian, aren't we? I think we agreed on that for the other right-back to start. The good thing with Darmian is that he can also play as a centre-back. I mean, he has in a back three. And I think because of the experience and the utility, man, that he's become, he can play to the left. He can play as a left wing back, left centre-back, right centre-back, right wing back. I mean, he gives you so many options. But I think Darmian is almost a certainty if he's injury-free and continues to perform at a good level.
00:04:21
Speaker
the options he provides tactically. Yeah, he's been really good and he was really great against Macedonia as well. But it's like in a short tournament, you want to have options, don't you? I mean, it's a very short tournament. It's only six, seven games. Players, utility players are very, very welcome. Yeah, absolutely. And if we're desperate and we need another left back, you know, he's like there as well. He came on for Polytown and plays a winger, winger. I mean, he can play everywhere and that's a really important quality in a short tournament.
00:04:46
Speaker
Yeah, Annie's experience and there's the inter block at the back and I think it's always useful to have like we've often had with the Juventus defensive blocks in the past. It's very, very important. Okay, left back. Now this is interesting. This is probably our best area in terms of depth that we have anywhere in the squad is that left back. So DiMarco is a guarantee. I think that's for certain. Injury, as long as there's no injuries or anything. Then,
00:05:13
Speaker
Let me list out the number, the left backs we've got Udoji, Cambiazzo, Spinazzola, Biragi, Emerson, Parisi, Ruggieri as well as coming on strong at El Salanza. So we've got a lot of left back options. Right now, I think it's
00:05:30
Speaker
DiMarco and Udoji as the first two left backs right now, but so much can change between now and June, can't it? Yeah, look, for me, I will be pissed off if Udoji and Cambiazzo aren't called up and included. You want both?
00:05:49
Speaker
I want Udoji, Dimarco, Cambiaso, Spinazzola, Darmian, and Di Lorenzo. Again, Darmian can play in many positions. And Cambiaso, Spinazzola can play on the right. Di Lorenzo is a right back. Dimarco and Udoji are left backs. Again, I'm looking for options. And since there aren't that many definite center backs, except for Acherbi and Bastoni, as things stand today,
00:06:17
Speaker
For me, you need to bring the best players. Spinazzola, Cambiaso can play on the right, they can play on the left. Udoji and DiMarco, you know what they can do on the left. So you have to have them. Di Lorenzo is a leader in this. This is Spalletti's Italy. So, you know, Di Lorenzo has to be there. And down me on for everything we said. So for me, they all have to be called up, these players.
00:06:42
Speaker
Well, the problem is that we won't have the numbers to pick all of those. You can't pick six fullbacks, because if you pick six fullbacks, then even if you pick three centerbacks, which you can't go with three centerbacks, you're going to have nine already. So you'd have to go with four centerbacks. So you can't pick all of them. At the very maximum, you could pick an extra fullback. So you could go
00:07:01
Speaker
Udoji and Cambiaso. Maybe pick another one, which he might do. He might end up doing because he might see Udoji as someone that can even play as a sentiment fielder. But absolutely, you can't have four full pats. It would be too many. And the reason for that is, I mean, we have to decide who's going to be a centre-back. I mean, first of all, I would take Udoji. Let me just tell you that 100%. But a centre-back, the guarantees are a chair being Bastani, for sure.
00:07:27
Speaker
If I have to sacrifice a player out of cambiaso or dodgy. No, cambiaso or sunetzola. Yeah, it's spinetzola. With all due respect. But we have to see how they play the rest of the season, you know, sunetzola might come strong, cambiaso might lose his way, he's young, you know, he might get a leg read, you don't know. So let's go to centre backs. So centre backs, Bastoni and Echebe guarantees, and then
00:07:55
Speaker
We need another two minimum, another two centre backs, maybe three. Most international managers for tournaments pick five centre backs, most do. But let's be honest, our options are not good at all. Let's be honest. So the other options are... This is what I've done, Bianna, is a back up, right centre back. Well, that's the thing. I mean, I know he's never played in a back four, but I would do almost, like you said, I'd rather him be our fifth centre back. This is what I mean, like this is... In a desperation situation, you'd go with him. Yeah.
00:08:24
Speaker
I agree. Because he can do that. I mean, he is such an intelligent player and he knows his limitations. He knows what he can do. He knows what he can't do and he adapts. He just goes out there and does his thing. I'm with you. I would go for four centre backs and then pick an extra full back and then have Darmien as somebody who can come in. Exactly. I agree with you. Listen, there's no point picking a fifth centre back like
00:08:49
Speaker
what's the point? You can't trust them in a quarterfinal or semi-final in the Euros. You're going to lose. What's the point to bring them? They don't offer anything. Like they really don't. I mean, no, no, I'm with you. Well, let me read out the other options. So we've got Scalvini, Gatti, Mancini, Toloy, Casale, Buongiorno, Romagnoli, Basquirotto, Bernucci. I mean, we shouldn't really, we shouldn't even name him, but let's just name him anyway.
00:09:16
Speaker
We need two or three or three players from these options. We both agree we should pick two. So who are the two who are the two you take from the from these?
00:09:27
Speaker
Yeah, I would probably, right now, again, things can change. Right now, I agree. I would agree with you. I don't want to see Toloy ever. I think both have done well in these two games. Again, not elite opposition, but Spellety said he wants to play elite opposition in the March friendlies. So that would be a good opportunity in those games to play these centre backs and see who can cut it and who can't.
00:09:52
Speaker
No, I agree. Mancini's too much of a liability. He's going to... He scares the shit out of me every time he steps out on the pitch. Scalvini... I still haven't seen what the fuss is about with Scalvini. He's too raw, and I don't think this is easy.
00:10:10
Speaker
look it's a short tournament you don't bring players to to to learn you have to be ready now it's a tournament it's it's it's a final so you're you're no grief the nation's league is to learn that's what you used to use the nation needs to learn now that's the only use of that tournament now exactly yeah competitive nonsense let's go to build this now let's go to midfield so usually you would pick five or six sentiment fielders we play a three man
Midfield Dilemmas for Italy
00:10:33
Speaker
central midfielders, six-centre midfielders you need for a free man. And we have guarantees, as I said, Barella and Locatelli I think are guarantees. So we need another four. Now the options we've got are
00:10:51
Speaker
Christante, Giorginio, Verratti, Ricci, they're the registers, they're the register options. Metzale options are Fratese, Bonaventura, Culpani,
00:11:05
Speaker
and you maybe you include Pellegrini in that. I wouldn't do that. I mean, given how he plays, he's somebody that could be this again, he could be a six choice, somebody that can double up as an attacker, you know, that's one thing. But anyway,
00:11:21
Speaker
I think we need to break it down as registers first because you're going to always pick two registers in the squad. If we're calling him a register, then you need one other one. You would pick Georgina, but you see, I think that
00:11:39
Speaker
Spelletti could consider Locatelli also to double up as a Metzal, in which case you could take Giorgino and Cristante and have, I mean, I wouldn't do it, but I'm just saying, the way that he looks at it, he could pick Giorgino and Cristante as his two registers and then
00:11:56
Speaker
pick Locatelli as a Metzala who can also play as a Regista. That's a possibility. I think that's pretty much what's going to happen and I'm annoyed because I know it's going to happen. If Christante is not injured, he's going to go to the Euros and it's going to be a waste of a space in that team because I don't think Christante is good enough and I think he's shown time and time again.
00:12:16
Speaker
He is a very limited player and he's not good enough at this level and he was lucky not to concede a penalty because he's so reactive, he's so slow in his reactions. In a game against a France or an England or whatever in the Euros and he does what he did on Mudrik, I'll bet you anything that's a penalty and that's it.
00:12:40
Speaker
No, he's not good enough. He's not good enough. It's simple. It's simple as that. He's not good enough. I don't even see him as somebody just to bring on to see the game out because look what happened yesterday. As soon as Christante comes on, you lose control of the midfield. That's my big thing. I want my midfield to control the game. I want them to examine the game, dominate possession.
00:13:01
Speaker
He doesn't do that, and he doesn't even necessarily close the game up very well as we saw with the Madrid kids yesterday. He's not a bad player, he's a good player, but he's not an Italy level player. That's not good enough. Even against Macedonia, we lost our way when he came on. Immediately, those changes is when they scored twice. Christanta shouldn't be anywhere near this team.
00:13:23
Speaker
No, we'll always thank him for that flick on that he did in the Euro final from the corner, you know, but that's it, you know. Thanks for that, Brian. No, no, thanks, Bri, but... Brian, yeah, Brian.
00:13:35
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, no, no, no, no. I mean, you can't have a name Brian and be good. I mean, I mean, you know, some people just have names where you just know they're just there's Brian. Brian. Brian. Brian. Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No, Brian. No
00:14:03
Speaker
Don't push it. You know what I mean? You got away with one with Kristanter. Don't push it because he'll make you pay. Mark my words. He will make you pay in the euros, Kristanter. So who do you take then? Who do you take as your sex?
00:14:23
Speaker
for me. Yeah, it's your 6th. He's your 6th. He's your 6th. I don't count Pellegrini as a midfielder. I count him as an attacker. So if Kalpani continues to play like this, the thing with Kalpani that I really, really like is the fact that he's a big guy as well. He's technical.
00:14:52
Speaker
He's got a brilliant left foot. He's powerful, the way that he drives the ball forward. Good finisher, big guy. He gives something different to this Italy side that they don't have. He can also play on one of the wing positions as well.
00:15:12
Speaker
No, for me, for me, it's, I go, I go Loca Telly and Giorgino right now as the, as the, as the reduced is. I mean, variety, I would love to take him because he's my favorite Italy player the last 10 years, but he's been in Qatar and I just don't see how it can, how you can possibly take him. It's just, just
00:15:31
Speaker
It's funny that, isn't it? Because if you were to bet, I mean, if I were to bet on who out of those two would still have a future under Spaletti, I'd, you know, in August. You would have thought before that the Verazzi would have lasted longer, but he's killed himself. If he was still playing in Europe, I'm sure he would still be in the mix.
00:15:51
Speaker
whilst Giorginio's playing for Arsenal. Well, listen, things can change. Giorginio was not looking good at Arsenal up until the last month or so, and now he's found form, so we have to see if he can continue that. Yeah, so I go Giorginio Lopotelli for the Regista position, and then Barela and Flatezi, I think, absolutely. So that's four. I think right now, you go Bonaventura, but again, he's 33, going to turn 34 next year. You know, again,
00:16:17
Speaker
he could age. If you want to have a lot of games to play in Europe, you know, we have to see how he does in the new year. And then, yeah, then there's, I mean, there's Copain, there's Pellegrini. I don't know who I would have as the sixth, to be honest. It's crazy that we've gone from so many midfield options. It's annoying to me. This trial and error thing really annoys me because he would have been perfect in this midfield.
00:16:42
Speaker
like it just annoys them. He's just a big player. It's a huge blow. It's a huge blow. It's going to be a huge blow come the tournament and against the big teams for sure. It isn't going to win anyway. Well, I think so. But yeah, we'll come to that. As for the sixth one, I don't know.
00:17:00
Speaker
I don't know. I don't know. I want to see Kalpani first before I say I want Kalpani. I want to see how he does it much. Well, that's the thing. I mean, if we're doing it today, then yeah, Kalpani, but it's impossible to say anything now. It's eight months away. So, okay. All right. I'll go with that then for now.
Who Will Lead Italy's Attack?
00:17:16
Speaker
Attackers attackers then so this is this is really really difficult. I think he is the only guarantee Yeah, he's the only guarantee right now if he's fair and this will pray that he is because he's so important Then you know, they're gonna we're gonna take six forwards, right? So you need
00:17:32
Speaker
Generally, you need at least two players who can play on the right, two that can play on the left, two that can play in the middle. A lot of these players can play right and left, like Yeza can play right and left. So that's going to allow us to be flexible here. Now, I'll read through all the options. The right-wing options, we've got Berardi, Politano, Orsolino, Orsolini, Zaniolo, who can play on the left as well, Nionto, who can play on both sides, Zacagni on the left, El Shurari on the left, Masperdori, who can play on the left or the middle,
00:17:59
Speaker
you can play right, left, or middle. And then the purely center forward option, Skamaka, Rettaghi, and Imobla. And then as I said, Pellegrini is a kind of midfielder-stroke attacker that can potentially play both.
00:18:14
Speaker
Well, we have to pick Domenico Berardi because otherwise Patrick Kendrick will put out a fatwa on us. So we have to pick him out. So Kiesa Berardi, Rasbadori, Skamaka, Pellegrini, Moisken is what I would go with. But I think he's going to go with Politano because even though they have a love-hate relationship. So you wouldn't pick Zaniolo then?
00:18:43
Speaker
no not on current form and not on i just don't think he's good enough at this point point point in time and i think he's shown it time and time again i'll tell you who i think will go i think as it stands right now i think um obviously i think beradi
00:18:59
Speaker
Ferrari for sure, Raspadori for sure, because of the Napoli collection. And I think he wants to take Schumacher because I think he wants to have a big centre forward option. He wants to have an aerial threat centre forward option. So I think he would pick Schumacher for that reason. Those four I think are different. And I think he likes to take, he would like to take Zagnolo as well. He would like to. So I think those five, then I think the six spot is up for grabs. Who are you take?
00:19:26
Speaker
As my right wing options, I probably would take Beradi because I think he's probably the most consistent out of a bad bunch on the right. So I would have Beradi and Kiesa as two right wing options. Then as my two center forwards,
00:19:45
Speaker
As much as I've been critical of Shkamaka, we need a big center forward. So it's got to be Shkamaka Rettige. You have to pick one or the other out of these two because you need a center forward option. If you're chasing the game, you're one nil down, you need to put balls in the box, you have to have someone to go long to or someone you can put crosses in. For that reason alone, we have to pick one of those two.
00:20:07
Speaker
Right now, you're probably going to Scamaca. I'm not happy with him. He needs to improve his movement. He needs to improve a lot. He's failing at the moment. The thing with Scamaca is the fact that he's one of the few players in Italy who can have a moment of magic out of nothing. He can create something that was just wow. And that kind of unpredictability
00:20:35
Speaker
I think is important in tournaments because he does have the talent, he has the ability, he can literally create something out of virtually nothing. And that kind of unpredictability is something you need in a tournament. But yes, Berardi Kiesa Raspadori... Yeah, Berardi Kiesa Raspadori Pellegrini Skamaka Moyzken.
00:21:03
Speaker
I think, listen, I pick Kiesa and Kiesa and Brati is my right-wing options. My two center forward options, I go Raspadori and Schimaka. As my left-wing options, I go...
00:21:21
Speaker
I probably pick Moise Ken. Yeah, definitely Moise Ken. I think Moise Ken, because he can play in all the positions. And also because Moise Ken has become a very tactically useful player, not just under Allegri. I mean, I don't know what Allegri is doing with him, but he's got him thinking football for the first time in his career in a way that we haven't seen that. And he executes those those attacking roles
00:21:49
Speaker
in defence and in attack really well. I mean yesterday when he came on he didn't play too much but immediately you can see he can hold up the ball in that number nine position and Italy are going to need that and he's also a very quick player and dynamic player so for me I think keen on current form has to be in the squad because he's a utility player just like Darmi and he gives you options. Yeah and my other one would probably be I think I would go Zaniolo for now for now
00:22:17
Speaker
because I want another winger, I want another wide man, I want someone that can run at players. I'd rather have Pellegrini then because I think Pellegrini... Pellegrini can't do that either, he's the slowest person ever. Yes he is, but he's got something that Daniela doesn't have and that is a set pieces and the foot is just...
00:22:32
Speaker
Pellegrini, possibly because you can switch to a 4-2-3-1 and he can play in that 10 position. But that's why I would maybe pick him as part of the midfield six, maybe. That's why. But anyway, listen, those are the six, but I think a lot can change. I personally, I still really like Nionto, but he needs to join a new club. If he joins a new club, if he joins Lazio, for example, who he's been linked to, or if he joins Tottenham, who he's been linked to, he joins a club like that and he does well.
00:22:56
Speaker
I like him. I do like him. So I wouldn't rule him out. Also, yeah, like I said, Pellegrini is an option as well. So, you know, those options, I could, what I can say for sure is the players that I absolutely don't want to be in, for sure. In Moble for sure. I don't want him to be, there's no way in Moble, I want Moble to go to center forward. And then from the outside forward positions,
00:23:21
Speaker
I don't want Orsolini, I don't want Zacagni, I don't want El Sharawi. These players are not at the level required. Those for sure. Then it becomes out of the others that are available that I listed. It comes out of who's playing the best, who's in the best form, you know, who plays well in the friendlies in March and before the tournament. So, you know, it's all dependent on that.
00:23:47
Speaker
The place is up for grabs because, like I said, these players need to step up and they're not stepping up to that level right now. None of these players need them to.