Inter Milan Superstar Becoming One Of Three Key Pillars For Italy Under Luciano Spalletti

Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella is becoming one of three major pillars of the Italy national side under Luciano Spaletti.

This is the view in today’s print edition of Milan-based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, via FCInterNews. The newspaper names Gianluigi Donnarumma and Federico Chiesa as the other two.

Former Inter, Roma, and Napoli coach Spalletti has been putting his stamp on the Italian national team.

When Spalletti took over as Italy coach from Roberto Mancini earlier this year, there is no doubt that the 64-year-old inherited a group of players with plenty of quality.

But at the same time, the veteran coach knew that the situation was more complicated than that.

Italy, who had won the Euros in the summer of 2021, failed to qualify for the most recent World Cup.

And as far as the upcoming Euros, the Azzurri only narrowly scraped through. They did so via a draw against Ukraine earlier this week.

Clearly, this Italy team is far from a well-oiled machine.

Instead, the Azzurri look to be going through something of an identity crisis.

A big part of the reason for this is that the younger players within the squad have yet to really emerge as viable replacements for some veterans who had played key roles at the last Euros.

The likes of Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Marco Verratti, for example, are out of the picture.

And whilst players like Davide Frattesi and Giorgio Scalvini have the potential to reach a high level, they are not there yet. And they lack the winning experience of some former veterans.

Nicolo Barella One Of Three Key Pillars For Italy Under Spalletti

What Spalletti has needed, therefore, has been players who can really bridge the gap.

The 64-year-old coach, who won the Serie A title with Napoli last season, has searched for continuity with the formula that won the most recent Euros, but with plenty of prospects for the future.

And the coach has also needed players who perfectly suit his ideas of football.

And in the view of the Gazzetta, Spalletti has found three such players.

One is Inter midfielder Barella. The former Cagliari man had been a key man in midfield at the last Euros.

Barella formed Italy’s first-choice midfield trio alongside Verratti and Jorginho.

And the 26-year-old is now an even better and more well-rounded player than he had been at that time.

Moreover, Barella has proven to suit the style that Spalletti wants the Azzurri to play to the ground.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain and former AC Milan goalkeeper Donnarumma also played a massive role for Italy at the last Euros. And at the age of 24, he is still young for a keeper.

Lastly, forward Chiesa has given Italy a direct, pace-y, and physical dimension in attack.

The Juventus and former Fiorentina man had already impressed at the last Euros. And if Spalletti is to really make Italy tick, Chiesa will have to build on that.