Italian national team coach Roberto Mancini is set to inaugurate a new cycle going into the future, and Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella and defender Alessandro Bastoni will be cornerstones of it.
This according to today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Corriere della Sera, who detail the coach’s plans for the future of the Azzurri.
Failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup following last summer’s triumph at the Euros has prompted some soul-searching within Italian football, and it has become clear that there is no guarantee of winning with the group that won last summer.
The futures of a number of players, especially in attack and in defense are in doubt, with the likes of Sassuolo duo Gianluca Scamacca and Giacomo Raspadori set to be given the chance to prove themselves as long-term options.
In defense, Nerazzurri defender Bastoni looks to be the most solid candidate to be at the heart of the Azzurri’s defense for years to come as Juventus duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci are phased out.
Meanwhile, Barella is one of the players from last summer’s Euros triumph whose place in the starting eleven looks to be safe going forward.
