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Extended Clip - Italy At World Cup 2026: Possible Squad, Lineup, Prediction & What Luciano Spalletti Must Do (Ep. 431)
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After Italy crashed out of EURO 2024 at the hand of Switzerland, Nima and Carlo look ahead at to FIFA World Cup 2026 Qualifiers discussing, analyzing and debating what Azzurri coach Luciano Spalletti must do and which players should stay, go and be brought in for Italy to return to greatness.
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
Introduction
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Italian football podcast.
Luciana Spaletti's Youthful Vision
00:00:05
Speaker
just before we finish off um let's look ahead now let's try and bring some light to this darkness and look at what the next the new italy can look like under luciana splity now that he is staying butletti said in his press conference on Sunday that he will be looking to pick a younger Italy squad with more energy, with more energy going forward. Fantastic.
Evaluating Italy's Euro 2024 Squad
00:00:30
Speaker
So what we what we will do, Nimmer, is let's go through, first of all, the Italy's Euro 2024 squad. I'm going to read through each player very, very simple, in or out, whether we we whether they should be part of the new Italy looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup or
00:00:49
Speaker
this should they should be axed and this should be the end of them so starting off with the with the three goalkeepers Donnarumma that's an easy one in he's the captain so yeah Dicario in in the squad second goalkeeper Meretz Out, Karanoseki or Di Gregorio. Yeah, agreed, agreed. Di Gregorio for me. um Let's go through the defense now. Di Lorenzo, out? Out, I think. it's He's not going to because that's his son, quote unquote, um which is stupid, but he's not going
Center-Back Selection Debate
00:01:23
Speaker
to. But I think, yes, I think it's time to start looking for different options. Federico Di Marco. Out, he doesn't suit Spaletti's system and it's a waste of everyone's time.
00:01:32
Speaker
I would keep him in for now, but I would certainly probably pick Udoji as my starter and maybe DiMarco could be someone to come somebody to come on when they when the tempo is dropped last 30 minutes or something to give that quality. But but yeah, I do see your point now. Bonjourno. Well, no point in calling him up because he's a center he's a centre center back in the back three and he doesn't want to play with that. So no, he can, he can, he can, I would say in, listen, he, I would say in not a starter, but it has to be in. We need, we need, we need, he can't play in the back four and he can't play in a high line. well
00:02:10
Speaker
What's the point? but I mean, this is what I mean, Carlo. Look, you can't we can't sit here and say you can't tinker. And look, you will come to me. I remember when Roberto Mancini was not called up on the Italy east side due to also off-field issues, but also tactical issues. Right. I remember when when when when when Lippi got rid of Roberto Bajo
Reflections on Past Issues
00:02:32
Speaker
twice. Well, yeah, we had we had sorry, we had world class alternatives. Yeah. No, no, don't call up on John. No, you can who'd you to call up? Jennifer Mancini? I mean, no, but no, um listen, my point is, if you're going to play with a back four, if you're going to play with a high line, you need either that or get rid of Spaletti. You can't have it both ways.
00:02:49
Speaker
because it's obvious that when Spaletti is not capable of doing things. Well listen, for me for me he's in because until until you can give me better alternatives to be in the squad, I
Defensive Line-Up Considerations
00:02:59
Speaker
can have the guy with Bongiorno. We have to work with him. Just just to just ah before I have some idiot coming at me, I'm not saying that Bongiorno's not good enough to be in the Italian team. what i'm saying is yeah we're talking about the squad yeah this one no no no no no listen i'm not saying that bonjourno is not good enough to be in the italian national team that's not what i'm saying so i don't need someone coming at me saying oh you said he's not good no that's not what i'm saying i'm saying if he doesn't suit uh polity system they shouldn't be in the team because otherwise
00:03:25
Speaker
like i said earlier look at what happened against in this tournament the tinkering back and forth yeah it doesn't work well well yeah listen i i hear your point i hear your point i'm just saying that also we have to be realistic with the options and if you don't call up bonjourno because it doesn't necessarily suit suit his style of play then well you have to have another sense back in the squad yeah so who you're gonna have you know you're not gonna have gati you're not gonna have Mancini, you're not going to have, I don't know who you can have, Casale, Romagnoli, these plays are ill-fitting as well. know We don't have the option. So, you know, I think for that reason, he has to be in the squad. I wouldn't start in there. Gatti out for sure. Yes. Damián out. Yeah, for sure. Belanova in, but actually given a chance. Yeah, but again, he's not a fullback, is he? Until I see him playing as a fullback.
00:04:10
Speaker
Yeah. What's the point? But then no Nor was Udoji. Udoji wasn't a fullback and he and he managed to attack. Yeah, but Udoji is different because Udoji has shown that he can play as a fullback. Yeah.
Mancini's Role in Defense
00:04:18
Speaker
and ah to We need Belanova to join ah ah a team and play his back four basically and prove himself. Yeah. And then we can have him in. Mancini? Look, I think Gianluca Mancini in a back four, I like Gianluca Mancini in a back three, um but I want to see what he can, if De Rossi is going to play with the back four, which it seems like he is, I want to see Mancini to the right of that. So I want to wait before I say anything. I want to wait because I think Mancini has grown. I think he has improved. I think he's matured. I want to wait and see.
Midfield Evaluations
00:04:55
Speaker
That's what I want to do. I want to wait and see. Yeah. Okay. Uh, Bastoni in Cambia. So in, I think we'll agree there.
00:05:03
Speaker
um for rattezi This is an interesting one, I'm not sure on this one. I think Fratese can be part of the squad because what he does do, if you remember Simone Perota, no other comparisons between them, but he was a similar style of player in the sense that he would is very dynamic and made runs from deep and that really really worked for Spalletti. So I think Fratese is useful to Spalletti. if, as a rotation player, coming in off the bench when he's chasing a goal and he needs runs from deep. But if he's going to use David Efratezi in the build-up phase, hell no.
00:05:37
Speaker
Yeah, I would say at most for Fortezi, a squad player that can come on, I just can't trust him even to start in any type of system. If you can't, if your past success rate is 50%. Well, that's what I mean. It's it's just not, it I don't care what, whether you're in the build up or whether you're further up the field. I can't, I just can't, you just can't, i just just not that's just not doable. at all. Giorgino, I think we agree, out, he's going to be 34 by the 34th, almost pushing on 35, so he he he will be too well. Thank you. Great career. That might be the last time he's is he's played for Italy.
Forwards in New Formations
00:06:09
Speaker
Pellegrini, Lorenzo Pellegrini,
00:06:11
Speaker
in I still believe that a midfield trio with him to the left as a as a mezzala works I really absolutely believe I would keep him around um maybe not as a starter but he'll be 30 the next tournament maybe keep him around for one more cuz Dante has to be out oh my god catapult him into the sun butla Barella in. Fagioli, I would have it in as well. Me too. And Fodorun show. I mean, let's see how he does it. a Napoli. Let's see how he does it. Napoli. I don't want to say definitely out because we i mean we didn't really see much of him.
00:06:46
Speaker
The attack now, Skamaka, I think, has to be in. We have to give him another chance. and We need to see more from him. Raspadori. Yes, yes, yes, yes. But the question is, does he work in a 4-3-3? I'm not sure. Raspadori, question mark for me. I mean, again, we have to look be realistic with the options. Kiesa. No. um Unless he... he he you knew Something magical happens and he starts... performing that somewhat acceptable i would i would have kiaa in for now but i would have him as a
00:07:20
Speaker
as a sub player someone spring on like twenty minutes again we got them to be realistic withn yeah no no we don't have anyone but i think we need to find a different we need to find we need to find some attackers basically and and and we can't we can't be starting with the same attackers that started in this tournament and expect different results because no because it's not going to happen so i would keep Keizer on but but but as an as a backup i don't know if you mentioned kellafury but we definitely oh yeah sorry yeah kellafury yeah goes without saying but i think goes without saying yeah uh I think out has to be out, yeah. no yeah Just just not not not not based on what we've seen. and And I think he was, you know, just. Just too limited. Yeah. He's just a box player. And ah can you yeah I want to say well done to him. I thought he did well with the scraps he did. I think he should be in the squad. after he deliver He's 29 years old. He'll be 31 in the next one. I think he will be passing past his best then. So I'm going to say no. We need to think how old they're going to be in the next one.
Potential New Additions
00:08:14
Speaker
And elsewhere are we definitely and out. out stephanie
00:08:18
Speaker
Okay, so that's the players that are there. um In terms of players who didn't go to the Euros who need to be part of the group going forward, I've got a list here, I'll read them out and then you just tell me if there's any you would ah you would add to or when you would disagree with. So Gregorio's third goalkeeper, as we said, Odorgi as one of the left-backs, I was making the left-back start not to going forward. Scalvini is one of the centre-backs assuming he recovers okay, fingers crossed from the ACL. um Tonali will be a pillar of the centre midfield. a Huge, huge miss from it from this tournament. We said it at the time. I think we were doomed as soon as he was as soon as he was ah ruled out of the tournament way back at the start of the season. And I want him back in the city, ah bringing him back from for the Premier League.
00:08:59
Speaker
Locatelli brought back in the squad. I'm hoping that Thiago Motta can can resurrect him and back in the squad, Locatelli. And then in the attack, again, we're really, really struggling for for attackers coming through. So there's not much we can do here, but I'm hoping again, Nianto, potentially, if he gets a move from Leeds from the championship and develops, at least he's the the that style of player that, you know, you're saying about what suits the Spelletti style.
Strategy for Italy's Future
00:09:24
Speaker
um I'm thinking that he is that that that kind of player. ah Are there anyone anybody else that you you would... I'm looking at youth. I really believe in Michael Coyote. I really, really believe in in him. I think he he has a huge future ahead of him and I think he could be the right starting right back for Italy and back for for for a long, long time. You know my love for Samuel Ericci.
00:09:50
Speaker
that's not new Parisi I hope gets starts playing football properly now and and you know I don't know what they're gonna do now because Parisi you know now that Paladinos talked about playing with a back three taking over Fiorentina so either you play Parisi as a wingback. We know that he works as a fullback, but regardless, I want Parisi. I want Parisi in some place where he can play. I want Baldansi to start being reintegrated into the role I'm playing regularly. Ruggieri, I think, has done really well at Atlanta.
00:10:26
Speaker
um No, I do, I look at that squad and I see, you know, Caio de Bastoni Calafiori Udoji Donaruma is a good place to start. Yeah, Caio de, I want to see him develop more technically, and but physically I think he's got the attributes they' definitely um to play the kind of Spelletti kind of, you know, and then i look at to bring more intensity, but I want to see him more technically. He's been ah a little bit limited from what I've seen with him technically, but We'll see how it develops. And I look at the midfield, Barrella Tonali, Pellegrini, or Barrella Fagioli, Ricci. Well, let's talk, what would be a possible 11 at the 2026 World Cup? Dona Romain, if we're going to go with a 4-3-3 slash 4-2-3-1, which is, we know that's what Spelletti wants to play. No, we need to do that. We need to scrap all this nonsense. Dona Romain in goal, then if Bellanova can develop, Caio del Bellanova at right back,
00:11:17
Speaker
ah dodgy at left-back, then the centre-backs, Califuri and Bastoni, but then Scalvini is kind of an alternative option as well there, hopefully. if you can you know And then the midfield, I think Barrera and Tonali, definitely to start. And then we kind of need to find a kind of a regista. We need someone we need someone to to emerge as a top regista. That's what we need. So we hope that maybe Fagioli, Ricci, Or you can play, because Barela is a Toto Campista, you can play Tonali there, or Barela is a Regista, and you have Tonali and Pellegrini. I mean, you've got options. I'm not worried about this. The attack is going to be the problem again. And right now, we basically need players to emerge. Players that we haven't mentioned, players that are not there yet. Nyonto, I still want to hold on to some hope for Nyonto, but it really develops on where it needs to be made. You need to join a team that plays a 4-3-3.
00:12:10
Speaker
Yeah, and leave the championship. yeah and So again, that's cut and it straws a little bit. I put Keyes a question mark, but again, that's because I'm just, i I'm looking at where are the alternatives. Like this is the problem. And Skamaka, we're hoping that he can emerge. It might be, it probably is going to be too early for someone like Kamado, but again, you never know. you know he he He absolutely destroyed the under 17 euros and he's way too good for that level. So why can't he move up to the same level? You can still play a 4-3-3 and you can invert maybe Pellegrini instead of on the left wing. yeah and I think listen if we want to play if we want to play the style of Spoletti, I just think we need fast players. Because if you've got all dodgy marauding up the wing,
00:12:52
Speaker
Um, you could kind of have Pellegrini. No, no, you could in a kind of way, the way that Insinia did it. Yeah. But I mean, I think that, I think that we need quicker players. We need players with more pace and intensity. and I just don't think Pellegrini fits into that, and into that same reason for DiMarco doesn't like, um, they're just too slow. Both of them. I don't think that that suits the press. if You try and win the ball up high and quickly. You can't have players like DiMarco and, and Pellegrini and, and, and these kinds of players. So yeah, but in the day, where are the players? That's the problem in the attack. Anyway,
Spaletti's Freedom in Team Building
00:13:23
Speaker
let's leave it at that. let i think Look, let me I just want to end by saying I'm not too negative moving to the future because again, I'm actually pretty bullish. I look at what happened, what what how Italy is the you know performing at youth level and um and I see some interesting players there and I see some and i and i look at this lineup and I finally see
00:13:45
Speaker
a hope for the back four, which we haven't seen, for or the central defenders for the first time in ages. um I look at the midfield, I think it's fine. The the goalkeeper, there's no discussion. I'm worried about the attack behind Skamaka, Nyonto, Kiesa, like the the front three is an audition. We need, that's what Italy need, the front three. And there's now two full seasons. A lot can happen in those in those two seasons. But yeah, that that's where I'm more worried more than anything is is those areas. But I'm not worried. I think that I think that'll be fine. I think the most important thing now is this, like I said, and I keep repeating it.
00:14:27
Speaker
Spalletti has to, if you're going to stick with him, which you've decided that you're going to, you have to give him the mandate to pick and build what he wants, how he wants, irrespective of who he excludes. Don't put pressure on him to call players that he doesn't believe in, that he doesn't think fits his system. That's it. That's all I want to see. I don't care who it is. I agree with you there.