For a long time Giovanni Trapattoni was reluctant to blood Ireland’s promising young players.
The likes of Seamus Coleman, James McCarthy and James McClean had their cases presented to the 74-year-old in vain by the media and fans alike.
But perhaps there should not have been much surprise. Italian clubs and the national team have often been wary of playing younger players.
Two years ago, football writer Jonathan Wilson came up with some interesting figures which revealed that 6.7 per cent of pitch-minutes in Serie A that season played by players under the age of 22 – the worst rate of any of the top five leagues. In addition, Wilson found that the average age of Italian players in domestic leagues was higher than local players in the other major European leagues.
This trend has always been apparent at national team level. Let’s take a look at the squads for the last six major tournaments from World Cup 2002 to Euro 2012.
The lowest average came at Euro 2004 and 2012 (about 27.9 each) with Euro 2008 at 29.57. No teenagers were called up to any of these squads with the conservative World Cup 2010 surprisingly having the most players under the age of 23 with three – albeit mostly fringe players and all aged 23.
But the impression since Cesare Prandelli has taken over the Italy job is that he has rejuvenated the squad.
The Confederations Cup squad has just three players under the age of 23 (Mario Balotelli, Matteo Di Sciglio and Stephan El Shaarawy of AC Milan) but their average age is the lowest (27.5) during the past decade.
And interestingly over the past 12 months, 11 players under the age of 23 have been called up by the Azurri, most getting time on the field. It is a situation far removed from the traditional method used by Italy managers which favours experience.
Domestically there has been a slow sea change. Of the 10 youngest Italians to make their debuts in Serie A over the past 15 years, 40 per cent have done so in the past five years and that includes El Shaarawy who made his debut for Genoa, one month after his 16th birthday.
In addition current Italy squad member Alessio Cerci who is still 25, made his Roma debut also aged 16, way back in 2004.
And jumping away from the numbers game, a long list of early twenty-somethings have had regular football in Serie A over the past few seasons: Balotelli, El Shaarawy, Di Sciglio, Giovinco, Florenzi, Ogbonna, Astori, Verratti, Insigne, Destro, Gabbiadini, Poli and Fabbrini just to name a few.
The glut of talent getting playing time at club level has made it far easier for Prandelli to integrate and rejuvenate La Nazionale.
