Cambiaso and Colpani telling the story of finding out about being called up for Italy shows us what it means to the ‘Andreas’. For Cambiaso: “I was at the training camp ahead of the game with Cagliari and the Juventus team manager called me. I wasn’t expecting it and I didn’t want to hold out hope, but it was an incredible feeling that I wasn’t able to keep quiet about until the official list came out. I had to call my parents and my brother. My dad was very happy and told me straight away ‘well done but relax, you’ll probably be the water boy’. My relationship with him is great also because of this kind of thing”. Then Colpani who follows the Italy National team on social media: “I was finishing off a training session before the game against Torino and I saw the post with the squad list. I knew that I was on the longlist but I wanted to be certain. I hoped for it, I’m giving my best at Monza”.

Born in 2000, Cambiaso is a year older than Colpani. When asked to name a side made up of their idols, Cambiaso said “Buffon, Maldini, Pirlo, Totti, Del Piero”, whilst Colpani chose “Buffon, Cannavaro, Gattuso, Pirlo, Balotelli”, before adding: “My Azzurri icon is Francesco Totti, though, when he played I only saw him”. Cambiaso made a special mention of Fabio Grosso: “The 2006 World Cup is the first memory I have of him and he is synonymous with that feeling for me”.

Both have had different paths to the National team: Cambiaso has also played in Serie D, whilst Colpani came up through Atalanta’s system, apart from a year at Feralpisalò, before heading out on loan to Trapani in Serie B that was “very important. When you go somewhere else for the first time you come to understand a lot of things.” Cambiaso admitted: “I still feel close to the guys I played with when we won Serie D. We weren’t favourites to win the league, but with work and togetherness we managed it. Being called up still doesn’t feel real, it’s an incredible feeling to be here”.

Cambiaso is a defender who can play on either side thanks to working on this skill from childhood, whilst Colpani is an offensive midfielder: both are huge basketball fans and were introduced to the group by Manuel Locatelli and Alessandro Bastoni. On Spalletti’s work, Cambiaso said: “He has a modern ideology and his words about my football made me very proud”. Colpani added: “He has a big personality, he keeps you calm and doesn’t put you under pressure. He hasn’t spoken to me yet, but I want to show him what I know how to do”.

The Olimpico will host the game against North Macedonia in two days, the first of two decisive qualifiers for Euro 2024, giving Italy either a reason to celebrate or to worry: “Spalletti also spoke about this sense of fear that is right to have. Fear brings us a new energy: heading out on the pitch too relaxed isn’t a good thing”. The lads have clear ideas.