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| Wednesday 17 October, 2007 |
| Blog: Africa shocks |
| James Sugrue speaks out in defence of Roberto Donadoni’s experimental Italy squad for Wednesday night’s friendly against South Africa |
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It will be a very different Italy side that steps on to the pitch at Siena’s Stadio Artemio Franchi on Wednesday night. Following the weekend’s comfortable win over Georgia in Euro 2008 qualifying, Azzurri Coach Roberto Donadoni has opted to pick a highly experimental team of untested players, with no less than four members of the squad receiving their maiden call-up.
This is not the first time that Donadoni has come in for some heavy criticism from certain sections of the Press, but this time the old debate of club versus country has been raised once again. He has been accused of giving in to the likes of Milan, Inter and Juventus too easily by allowing their stars to have the week off from international duty. But is that really what is behind the Don’s decision?
Any player’s debut for the Nazionale is a nerve-wracking experience, and this should give some of the Azzurri’s potential stars a chance to get that tense first match under their belt with as little pressure as possible – not to mention without jeopardising a crucial qualifying match. There is also no substitute for working with a player in training every day. This week will give the ex-Livorno boss the chance to get to know some of these fringe players more intimately and better judge their international credentials. For that reason it is important to remember that the game itself is just one part of the international schedule and, in this instance, possibly not the area Donadoni is most concerned about.
There is another important issue here as well. The former Milan midfielder has come in for a lot of flak since taking over from Marcello Lippi – some of it deserved and some not. What is crucial is that the criticism has not made him too scared to make a considered gamble when it is needed. His willingness to experiment has already given the Nazionale Antonio Di Natale and Fabio Quagliarella, who have both made valuable contributions to their push for Euro 2008 qualification, and it is vital that he continues that trend.
You only have to look back at the gambles taken by Lippi in the World Cup to see how much of an asset the bravery to take risks can be. It is easy to forget now that many opposed the inclusion of Marco Materazzi in the Azzurri squad, yet the tactician had no hesitations when using him to replace the injured Alessandro Nesta in the starting XI. Similarly, few predicted that Simone Perrotta would get much playing time at the tournament, but he gave Italy’s midfield the balance it was so badly missing. Those two decisions could well have won the World Cup, which is why it is vital that Donadoni is allowed to continue his experimentation.
The truth of the matter is that the current man on the Nazionale bench is still unsure of his best team. A steady consistency of both tactics and key personnel is a necessity as the tournament in Austria and Switzerland draws closer, and anything that will help the Don come closer to finding his ideal XI and the system that will incorporate them is a vital part of the Azzurri’s preparations. Some of the players in the squad may never pull on the blue shirt again, but if just one of them turns out to be the missing link that will help the team gel and seal their qualification for Euro 2008, will this friendly still be viewed as pointless?
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