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, who stands at just over six feet tall, comes from Lazio, where he recently served as fullback. Since his move to Fiorentina in 2009, De Silvestri has rediscovered his best form that saw him represent Italy at every age range from Under 16 through to the U21 side. De Silvestri’s power as a fullback may end up earning him a position on the national team in place of Zambrotta.
Davide Santon Defender (Inter) Aged 19
Santon, who made a striking 28 appearances for Inter this season and five for Azzuri, is a skillful defender with an ability to play either flank successfully. Compared by Italian head coach Marcelo Lippi to Paolo Maldini, Santon has fantastic energy and can race up and down the flanks for the full 90 minutes. Thanks to his sound technical skills, and omitting the risk of injury, Santon should be joining the next few major finals Italian squads.
Mario Balotelli (Striker) (Inter) Aged 19
Although Mario Balotelli can be quick to anger and temperamental, his skill as an attack and winger has given Italy hope for a strong squad when he starts wearing the Italy soccer merchandise. 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. We can expect to see Batelli at the 2012 Euro qualifiers because Italy is going to need a brand new look strike force.
Federico Macheda (Striker) (Man Utd) Aged 18
A fiercely underrated player that has yet to regularly make the first team at Old Trafford, Macheda is set to have a great next season and catch they eye of Azzuri management. Macheda is a strong, intelligent striker, who has an eye for goal. 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
Finding a replacement for Andrea Pirlo may be the Italian sides greatest challenge in the next few years and one possible replacement could be Candreva. The Udinese midfielder, who is being touted as making his loan move during last season to Juventus more permanent, is versatile enough to play anywhere in midfield but seems to excel in the holding, creative role so favoured by Pirlo.
