Former Italian national team manager Cesare Prandelli has revealed just how close Mauro Icardi came to representing the Italian under 21 national team in years gone by that could well have lead to him committing to the Azzurri over Argentina in an interview with SoccerMagazine.it.
“He was there with one foot on the Under 21 coach, then received a phone call [from Argentina] and it [his career with Italy] did not go further. We knew he was a very, very, very interesting player and even though he was very young, he had previously made it clear to us that there was a possibility of a future with the Azzurri.”
Icardi’s Azzurri future was not to be though as he instead committed to the country of his birth in Argentina. His road to representing Argentina has not been a smooth one and external matters to football are understood to have affected his chances. However, he played for La Seleccion during the international break and his future looks more certain as Argentina are looking to call upon him and others to form a new look Argentina.
