Italy U20 at the World Cup without the big names: Miretti, Ndour, Scalvini, Volpato

Protagonist in Serie A and courted by the big names. A baby talent who leaves his team during the championship, to drag the Under 20 national team to the World Cup in its category. Tommaso Baldanzi is the exception that proves the rule: 20 years old, 25 appearances and 4 goals in the league, he says goodbye to Empoli and flies to Argentina together with Carmine Nunziata’s group. The Tuscan attacking midfielder will be the star of the Azzurrini: thanks to his technical qualities, God forbid, but also to the many colleagues who answered (or had to answer) “no, thank you” to the coach’s call…

the concern

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Nunziata has called up 21 players, as explained in the press release published on the FIGC website. But that is not all. The technician “doesn’t hide his concerns”, reads the official note. “Given the many absences, there are necessarily many new things in this group – Nunziata specified to the media of the national team – and several underage players. In the little time we have left, we will have to become a team and have a game.” The message is clear: the Under 20 is weakened because some clubs have refused to send their players to Argentina. The Azzurri make no secret of it: “The confrontation with the Serie A and B clubs, which started some time ago due to the specific timing of the tournament, has allowed for some pre-called-up players to have the go-ahead from the clubs they belong to, who confirm so to believe in the valorisation of young Italian talents through international experiences with the National Youth Teams – we learn from the FIGC website -. At the same time, however, various choices were made by those clubs which, at this stage of the season, felt they could not do without some Azzurrini pre-called up, in order to achieve the pre-established sporting results”.

the absent

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But where is Italy the weakest? It is the FIGC itself that mentions some of the players that Nunziata could have called up. Gnonto, Scalvini and Miretti are already in Mancini’s orbit and therefore by now considered by the blue club to be the “big names”: since the goal of the national under teams is to accompany young players on their growth path, forcing them to take a “step backwards” would be inconvenient. The same discourse, however, does not apply to other players still hunting for important goals with the club, such as Coppola and Terracciano (hunting for salvation with Verona), Fabbian (on loan from Inter to Reggina, aiming for the playoffs in B), Nasti (in the playout area with Cosenza) and Fazzini (practically already save with Empoli). The decision to “hand over” Baldanzi but not Fazzini to Nunziata, for the Tuscans, is also linked to economic reasons: Tommaso has already established himself in Serie A and has attracted the interest of the big names, while Fazzini could find more space in the last days of the championship and thus put themselves in the light. Volpato, semi-finalist in the Conference League with Roma, is added to the list: Mourinho held him back due to the many Giallorossi injuries, at the same time leaving two other boys in the orbit of the first team like Faticanti and Pisilli to the blue group. The situation of Cher Ndour is different: he plays in Benfica B, his contract expires in June and he has no intention of renewing. And if on the one hand the Portuguese hardly give up their jewels to the national teams, he is not even in the contractual position to impose himself…