Former Spezia director Riccardo Pecini has praised Inter for having one of the most prestigious youth academies in Italy.
The Nerazzurri have developed a wide array of talents and Pecini felt that they were adept at producing excellent young footballers, but argued that Italian football ought to consider implementing a second team system to bridge the gap between Primavera and first team.
In an interview published in today’s newspaper edition of Foglio Sportivo, Pecini named Inter as a good base for youth players but suggested it was too difficult for youngsters to make the step up at the biggest clubs.
“The youth sectors in Italy work well, there are more than a few top ones and Inter, Atalanta, Empoli, Torino, and Genoa come to mind,” Pecini declared.
“The system that accompanies young people to the first team should be changed.
“A lad coming from a Primavera side of Milan, Juventus or Inter today is not ready to play in Serie A in that top club. I think that the second team should become a fundamental step.
“The second team is different from the Primavera and would give the player time to make his journey at the right pace and with consistency.
“Instead today you loan the boy out to a team for a year, then you have to find another solution and then yet another. In this way the development takes longer,” he concluded.
Pecini served as CEO of Spezia from July 2021 until September 2022, and previously had three separate stints as chief scout at Sampdoria.
The 44-year-old also previously worked at AC Milan, Monaco, and Empoli, in addition to a scouting role with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur in 2005.
