England weren’t the only U21 side to suffer disappointment this week as Italy’s talented youngsters also crashed out of the tournament at the hands of Spain.
After a stunning breakout campaign that saw midfielder Roberto Gagliardini land a move from Atalanta to Inter in January, the youngster let his frustration get the better of him and was sent off for a second yellow card just before the hour mark. Spain were already 1-0 up at this point, but Italy were given hope thanks to a Federico Bernardeschi equaliser, but on this occasion, their opponents were simply too good.
Saul Niguez added two more strikes to complete his hat-trick – and whilst this semi-final defeat may sting right now – this promising side have so much to look forward to, especially with a World Cup looming next summer.
“I have zero regrets at these four years with the Under-21s,” their Coach Gigi Di Biagio told the press after the match. “Our mission was to revive Italian football and we achieved it, having at least the chance to go all the way. Of course, the icing on the cake would’ve been to win the Euros, but we did a great job.”
Of course, there were mitigating factors in Italy’s exit. Suspensions to Domenico Berardi and Andrea Conti weighed heavily on the side in last night’s semi, and whilst the Azzurri have a plethora of young attacking players, they do lack an out-and-out striker. Atalanta’s Andrea Petagna was placed in this role, but received heavy criticism for his performance.
There are doubts too over coach Di Biagio, fans pointing at a lack of experience as a factor in why there were so many puzzling decisions during his tenure. He may not carry on in the role, but the reasons for his side’s failure do not detract from the positives to be taken here.
“Naturally we thought our squad was worthy of reaching the Final, as there are some star names with luminous futures ahead of them,” 20-year-old Milan full-back Davide Calabria declared in his post-match interview. “The stadium was full of Italian fans too and we wanted to win for them.”
Those “star names” are already regular starters in their respective first team sides, and Giampiero Ventura – boss of the senior team – will have been watching with great interest. Fiorentina striker Federico Chiesa was one of the shining lights of the tournament, having only just broken into the Viola first team at the start of last season.
The 19-year-old – who is the son of former Fiorentina, Parma and Italy striker Enrico Chiesa – scored four goals and provided three assists in his maiden season in Florence, leading to his first U21 call-up back in March.
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“Federico is a player that I respect a lot,” his former boss Paulo Sousa told the press after handing him his debut. “He primarily plays out wide but also knows how to dominate the inside spaces, has the ability to get into the box and is good at finding space. He’s player who crosses well and has a competitive streak, and for this he’ll be increasingly integrated.”
Midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini is also heading for success, after revealing that he was about to “sign for Roma in the hotel” after the match. The 21-year-old scored a stunning bicycle kick in the earlier rounds, and his performances for Sassuolo have prompted the Giallorossi to activate a €10m buy-back clause in his contract after he began his career in their youth ranks.
Federico Bernardeschi is also potentially about to hit the big-time, after stalling over a contract extension with current side Fiorentina. Juventus and Chelsea are said to be interested in a move for the talented winger, with his sights firmly set on a starring role in the World Cup next year. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma has too been embroiled in a contract saga with Milan that has hit the headlines the world over. The 18-year-old may well move on this summer, but is one player that is unlikely to feature at the forthcoming tournament, as Gianluigi Buffon is determined to play one last World Cup.
Under previous Azzurri regimes, there had been much pessimism about the future of its youth. But suddenly Italy have a goldmine of players that are just coming to maturity that Giampiero Ventura will be ready to tap into come next summer.
