i think italy suffer from the lost generation around gila (u21)... noone made it into the senior nt.... toni camo and co are all in the mid 30s...
i think it could also happen to the likes of rossi gio and co if noone gonna support them... the problem here r the clubs like inter and co. they don't support their youth and players get loaned out and r forgotten after some years....italy had ever on of the best u21 or u17 but most of them failed to get into the senior squad...
but still italy could do well in south africa...
apart from some oldies like buffon canna camo maybe pirlo
we have some proven jung players like chillini or de rossi
and the likes of aquiliani montolivio gio rossi and co
we just need to find the right mixture
Yeah, once we talked about that lost generation. If you look at the names the 1970's gave to the Italian football you can have nothing else but respect for the calcio.
Starting from 1973 you have Cannavaro, Materazzi, Inzaghi, Pannuci, Vieri
1974 gave us Del Piero
1975 - Fiore ( yeah, bad year for Calcio)
1976- Totti, Camoranesi (ok, his case is different), Nesta
1977- Zambrotta, Toni, Perrotta
1978- Buffon, Gattuso
And in 1979 you have Pirlo and few more (Iaquinta etc)
Most of these guys were winning big tournaments ever since their early 20's. It was obvious they were born winners.
But you enter the 1980's and you have a lack of talent. Between Pirlo and Gilardino's generation ( between 1979 and 1982) you have only Barzagli and Gamberini who made it to the NT.
Then, in Gilardino's generation (the one that was superior in the youth stages and that is now consisted of players in their mid 20's), even though everyone expected these guys to rule the world, only Daniele De Rossi and Cassano made it big. Gilardino, Borriello, Quagliarella and Amelia were great talents but now we can see that these guys aren't among world's best.
Aquilani and Chiellini are the leaders of their generation and there is some exciting talent in the new u21.
But there is lack of quality players between Pirlo and Chiellini (generation 1979 till generation 1984) and exactly those generations were supposed to lead Italy during Donadoni era.
That's why Donadoni failed and that's why i'm sure everyone in his position would have failed.
Why do you think no-one wanted to take the helm of the Italian NT after Lippi?
Guys like Capello, Ancelotti and the other great names were aware that they can't do much. And that's why the Italian FA had to do with a young coach like Donadoni, because he was one of the rare who were willing to accept the job.