Italian Marcelo Lippi has faced a number of soccer pundit jokes this season due to the age of his team. The team is very likely to be fairly new by the Brazilian World Cup, when athletes such as 32 year-old Gianluigi Buffon, 36 year-old Fabio Cannavaro, 32 year-old Gennaro Gattuso, and other players like Andrea Pirlo (31), Gianluca Zambrotta (33), Vincenzo Iaquinta (30), Mauro Camoranesi (33), and Antonio Di Natale (32) are sure to be gone from the team. Who will Lippi or his successor choose to replace the team?
Lorenzo De Silvestri Defender (Fiorentina) Aged 22
De Silvestri, a former full back for Lazio, is slightly over six feet tall. When he moved to Fiorentina in 2009, De Silvestri came into his own in the form that served him in representing Italy from U16 to U21. With such a solid basis in the skills necessary to become a good fullback, De Silvestri might end up replacing Gianluca Zambrotta for the national team.
Davide Santon Defender (Inter) Aged 19
Able to play down either flank, Santon is a hugely talented young defender who made 28 appearances for Inter this season as well as five appearances already for the Azzuri. The tireless Santon can run the flanks for the entire ninety minutes and has even been compared to Paolo Maldini by coach Marcelo Lippi. Technically sound too, Santon, barring injury and a dramatic loss of form, should be a member of the next few Italian squads at major finals events.
Mario Balotelli (Striker) (Inter) Aged 19
Mario Batelli, though prone to fights and poor sportsmanship, may be one of the best attackers or wingers wearing the Italy soccer apparel in upcoming games. Batelli’s run-ins with both fans and management only serve to distract from his excellent record: the player scored twenty goals in 59 games and notched 6 and 16 for the U21 Italian set. His time will surely come in the Euro 2012 qualifiers when Italy are going to need a new look strike force.
Federico Macheda (Striker) (Man Utd) Aged 18
Despite Macheda’s failure to make first team at Old Trafford, soccer pundits agree that Man United’s striker could make a name for himself in the 2010-2011 season, and even gain the attention of Azzuri management. Macheda’s strength as a striker coupled with his intelligence gives him a boost in scoring goals. Particularly good with his back to goal, he has already been capped at U21 level for Italy and if he can start to make a bigger impact in the United first team, full honours should soon follow.
Antonio Candreva (Midfielder) Udinese Aged 23
The most daunting challenge that the Italian team faces is finding Pirlo’s replacement, and they may have found their man in Candreva. Pundits speculate that the Udinese midfielder will make his loan to Juventus a more permanent situation, especially since his abilities to play the entire midfield and master the perfection of Pirlo’s holding, creative role have been urging a permanent position.
