Paolo Condo feels that Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella and Federico Dimarco are the only Italy players who are leaders at club level.
The Italian journalist gave his views in a column published in yesterday’s print edition of La Repubblica, via FCInterNews.
Italy’s loss to Switzerland in the EURO 2024 round of sixteen has, inevitably, prompted a major inquest.
It was not just the fact that Italy have lost which is the issue. That can always happen in football.
Rather, the manner of the Azzurri’s defeat at the hands of Switzerland has laid bare the issues with the current group of players.
Despite Italy going into this summer’s tournament as reigning champions, they never really looked convincing.
The Azzurri required a dramatic late equalizer against Croatia in order to scrape out of the group stage.
And then that only delayed the humiliation. Against Switzerland, Italy looked second best, in and out of possession.
Both in terms of individual performances and as a collective, Switzerland looked superior. And this resulted in more and better chances for the Swiss – who were not flattered by the 2-0 scoreline.
Condo: “Barella & Dimarco Only Italy Players Who Are Leaders At Club Level”
Italy’s performance suggested that there is a vacuum of leadership in the squad.
Italian journalist gave his verdict, criticizing Italy coach Luciano Spalletti.
“The unbearable weight that he placed on the shoulders of the already psychologically fragile players – Barella and Dimarco are the only players who’re leaders at their clubs – crushed them in the end,” he writes.
“Too many lessons. Too many reminders to the fans. And too much of a burden on him when the last good result clearly was due to a levity that Gianluca Vialli added.”
“That is what ended up inspiring Mancini’s Italy,” Condo argued, referring to the influence of the legendary former Juventus striker prior to his passing.
