With three days to go until the Nations League opener against France, the Italian National Team had their second training session of the camp at Coverciano. The two new faces in Spalletti’s 23-man squad are Caleb Okoli and Marco Brescianini who both spoke today in a press conference at the Federal Technical Centre, sharing their emotions about being called up for the first time. 

FROM FROSINONE TO THE NATIONAL TEAM. Until just a few months ago, they were teammates at Frosinone but now have gone their separate ways: Okoli to Leicester and Brescianini to Atalanta. Now, they are back together for a new adventure in an Azzurri shirt.

Brescianini: “To tell you the truth, I did not expect to be here only a few months after our last game together. I am very happy, it is a dream come true, I will try to honour the shirt and give my all. Caleb and I want to show what we are made of”. Okoli: “I was hoping for the call, both for me and for Marco. And now, we’re here together”. The home defeat to Aston Villa on his Leicester debut on Saturday didn’t dampen his mood: “It’s a league that allows me to get a lot of international experience, playing in the Premier League was my dream. I had a few offers from Italian sides but I am happy with my choice”.

YOUNG PEOPLE ON THE RISE. Called up by Mancini in 2022, Okoli is ready to convince Spalletti to give him a regular spot in the Azzurri squad. In a press conference, the Head Coach underlined his extraordinary physical skills, from strength to speed, a vital quality for today’s game: “But it is very important to develop the mentality aspect”, he emphasised, explaining that he feels best in a three-man defence, where he is capable of playing in all positions.

Gigi Buffon’s speech to the squad was moving: “It touched me, I am convinced that from now on, we will be able to make people believe in our National Team once again”. To those who ask why young players often don’t make the jump from the U21s to the senior side, he said: “I don’t agree. In the Under-21s, I had Fagioli, Ricci, Bellanove and Udogie as teammates who are with me now too. It’s true, overseas we see lads of 17 and 18 playing every day, but we too are heading in the right direction”. 

FROM GATTUSO TO SPALLETTI. Marco Brescianini’s summer has been full of tribulations, but also satisfaction. Before moving to Atalanta, he had already completed a medical at Napoli, a positive U-turn given he scored a brace on his debut for the Dea. Then came the call from Spalletti, the fruits of his labour with Frosinone last season and the good start to this one: “I think that the Coach appreciated my journey, my flexibility and seriousness. I prefer to play as a mezzala on the right, but last year I covered positions in the entire midfield when necessary”. Brescanini seems to be the epitome of a modern player: “To succeed in football now, you need strength, speed, and athleticism without ever losing technique or your head, which are two fundamental aspects. Being such a fast game, you have to think first, and see the play first. A player needs to be assessed in all areas”.

Part of the AC Milan youth sector from the age of 8, he played under Rino Gattuso in the Primavera: “He was the first coach to believe in me, it was fundamental. He helped me understand what it means to play with those at the top”. After making his debut in Serie A with AC Milan at 20, he built up his experience elsewhere: Virtus Entella, Monza, Cosenza and Frosinone. It served him well: “I made a gradual move up through the leagues, this helped me in one way, but in terms of experience on a bigger stage, I’m missing something. Frosinone was a launchpad and I am happy to have joined Atalanta. Right now, I am completely focused on the Azzurri”. A National Team that needs young people to shake things up: “We know we are under pressure from the whole country, but we will try to do something extra compared to before because being under scrutiny wasn’t enough. We need to bring our skills to the field and be compact as a team. In the Italy squad, everyone needs to do something extra because there isn’t much time”.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Alessandro Buongiorno (Napoli), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Caleb Okoli (Leicester), Destiny Udogie (Tottenham);
Midfielders: Marco Brescianini (Atalanta), Nicolò Fagioli (Juventus), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Samuele Ricci (Torino), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);
Forwards: Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).