Azzurri Thread (6 Viewers)
- Thread starter Marceℓℓo
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When did Italy have XI world class players on the pitch last time? Zaccardo started 2006 against Usa and had a shocker. When Materazzi replaced Nesta everyone thought Italy would crash and burn. Even 2021 is depatable (everyone hates Immobile & Bonucci). Italy has had bad tournaments before but tbh i rather not qualify than do a 2010 disaster or 2014 disaster and then blame it all on Balotelli like they did. 2004 wc team every area and crash out on groups.
Acerbi played in CL final 4 months ago. Bastoni is 24 and Scalvini is 20! It makes sense to add experience to that if Scalvini starts. I dont think Acerbi is worse than Bonucci for example and Bonucci played for Italy 10 years.
I have much bigger issues in other areas. I dont think Kean should be even called up. But it shows what issues Italy has in attack. Agree on El Sharawy. That ship has sailed years ago. Cristante is just a body/runner. Midfield lacks quality and creativity. 34 year old Bonaventura is the answer? But it doesnt help if Verratti at 30 f.cks of to qatar or saudi or what ever. And Chiesa is injured every week.
Commentator said smth like England had 8 starters from euro 2021. Italy had 3. That gives England stability and they have more options. Italy has none of that right now.
Maybe it will be good if Italy doesnt qualify. Then Spalletti can start from 0. Right now its all kind of rushed last minute home work before big test with Mancini leftovers.
Italy must qualify for next WC. That should be the main goal now after all what has happened in recent years.
One must also remember though that Italy had last won euros in the 1960s before 21. And it was all doom and gloom also before 21. There will always be ups and downs. I also saw some positives tonight. Nothing changes in one day and there are no friendlies to test new things with a new manager. Mancini should have been sacked 2022 autumn when he failed to qualify for WC. Of course then we dont know who would have managed Italy from then on cause Spalletti was at Napoli. Frankly i dont understand why Ancelotti is going to Brazil.
Acerbi played in CL final 4 months ago. Bastoni is 24 and Scalvini is 20! It makes sense to add experience to that if Scalvini starts. I dont think Acerbi is worse than Bonucci for example and Bonucci played for Italy 10 years.
I have much bigger issues in other areas. I dont think Kean should be even called up. But it shows what issues Italy has in attack. Agree on El Sharawy. That ship has sailed years ago. Cristante is just a body/runner. Midfield lacks quality and creativity. 34 year old Bonaventura is the answer? But it doesnt help if Verratti at 30 f.cks of to qatar or saudi or what ever. And Chiesa is injured every week.
Commentator said smth like England had 8 starters from euro 2021. Italy had 3. That gives England stability and they have more options. Italy has none of that right now.
Maybe it will be good if Italy doesnt qualify. Then Spalletti can start from 0. Right now its all kind of rushed last minute home work before big test with Mancini leftovers.
Italy must qualify for next WC. That should be the main goal now after all what has happened in recent years.
One must also remember though that Italy had last won euros in the 1960s before 21. And it was all doom and gloom also before 21. There will always be ups and downs. I also saw some positives tonight. Nothing changes in one day and there are no friendlies to test new things with a new manager. Mancini should have been sacked 2022 autumn when he failed to qualify for WC. Of course then we dont know who would have managed Italy from then on cause Spalletti was at Napoli. Frankly i dont understand why Ancelotti is going to Brazil.
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@Stephan you forgot to mention how stacked Italy appeared on paper and on the pitch in 2002 WC.
Btw, if only Italy had Bonbon backed there.
Btw, if only Italy had Bonbon backed there.
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France 1984 won. 1988 failed to qualify.
But it was only 8 team tournament too.
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They'd be rolling in their graves if they saw the state of Italy today that's for sure.
I might be getting carried away with your point but I really do think a lot of it comes from the fact that after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Italians had been a fractured people for a very long time, and this period fostered a load of regional differences that are still present today. I think that in part explains this kind of tribalism and jealousy that has corrupted the mindset of Italians and the political system out there. They can't put aside their internal bickering and infighting for the sake of the country as a whole. Always got to bring the other one down.
I might be getting carried away with your point but I really do think a lot of it comes from the fact that after the fall of the Roman Empire, the Italians had been a fractured people for a very long time, and this period fostered a load of regional differences that are still present today. I think that in part explains this kind of tribalism and jealousy that has corrupted the mindset of Italians and the political system out there. They can't put aside their internal bickering and infighting for the sake of the country as a whole. Always got to bring the other one down.
They were robbed of goals against Croatia and Mexico as well. They had no less than 5 legitimate goals taken away from them.
Against South Korea there was Tommasi's goal, obviously. But Del Piero was elbowed in the face with impunity and Totti was sent off, when he probably should have gotten a penalty. I don't know if Italy would have won it. But the truth is we will never know how good that team was, because that tournament was corrupted as fuck.
Against South Korea there was Tommasi's goal, obviously. But Del Piero was elbowed in the face with impunity and Totti was sent off, when he probably should have gotten a penalty. I don't know if Italy would have won it. But the truth is we will never know how good that team was, because that tournament was corrupted as fuck.
