THE ARCHIVE
International football
Azzurrini domination | Azzurrini domination |
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Italy’s Under-21s – the Azzurrini – have dominated the junior-level European Championship since winning their first title in 1992. Under Cesare Maldini’s ten-year stewardship, a succession of sides won three titles on the trot (in total the Italians have triumphed in five of the last seven tournaments), blooding an impressive turnover of players, from Demetrio Albertini and Francesco Toldo, to Fabio Cannavaro and Francesco Totti. Drilled in the country’s primavera (spring) system, young players quickly get used to a competitive environment, complete with il ritiro. Set midway between a reserve team and a youth side (the upper-age limit is 20, with two older players allowed to take part in games as well), the primavera league is split regionally and, certainly compared with reserve football here, gets a decent amount of media coverage (Sky Italia broadcast live games on a Sunday and have just announced plans for a Friday night show). There’s no culture of “the stiffs”, either; teams are viewed as an integral part of a club – Juventus officials have been pointing to their recent 5-1 tonking of Inter as proof positive that the Bianconeri’s rebirth is well underway. All of which feeds through to the senior side and on into the international set-up. An Under-21 player will already be attuned to the idea that this is a serious business, as well as being keenly aware that such games are an opportunity to show what they’re made of. Players too old for the primavera, kicking their heels on the fringes of the swollen squads of the big northern teams or biding their time with a smaller club, see Under-21 appearances as a chance to showcase their potential. Aspiring Azzurri know that turning out for the giovanili is a real stepping stone up to a full honours and a decent chance to add some silverware to their CVs (though Antonio Cassano, naturally enough, bucked the trend, refusing to play for the then coach Claudio Gentile). Andrea Pirlo, Vincenzo Iaquinta and Simone Perrotta all used Azzurrini games to up their profiles, with Pirlo’s star turn during the 2000 tournament kick-starting a career that had seen him yo-yoing back and forth on loan while struggling to establish himself at Inter. From WSC 239 January 2007. What was happening this month On the subject...
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