Not really. I mean I like the players on that list and I want Italy to qualify but I'm not getting my hopes up.
Matic: “Perché il calcio italiano è in difficoltà? È rimasto negli anni Novanta. Il primo problema riguarda le accademie. I settori giovanili in Inghilterra e Francia sono molto più avanti. Ti insegnano a dribblare, sviluppano la tecnica. Un altro tema riguarda la tattica, che è… pic.twitter.com/90s79Wghly— Guido Olivares🇮🇹 (@Guidolino8) March 14, 2026
Too tired of ex coaches, players and people with high football positions talking right now about our football difficulties and the reasons we fail. Words, words, words. Just let Gatusso and our players do their job and earn qualification. Currently I am totally with Gatusso and every player that will be called for the playoffs. Forza Italia, Forza Azzurri per sempre!!!
non solo, ma è anche perché abbiamo sacrificato i nostri giocatori per stranieri invece di far sviluppare quelli italiani. non puoi crescere se non giochi in Serie A o ad alto livello. è semplice matematica... giochi con una squadra di 11 giocatori di diverse nazionalità, ovviamente la tua nazionale ne risentirà. è una conseguenza logica......
Yes of course in terms of style of play and what Cannavaro said which is a fundamental cultural issue none of this matters but in terms of raw number of minutes Italians recieve in Serie A the league is a perfect storm for bad results because it is too rich to be a league where teams are forced to play free players from their academies but too poor to get the best players and create and iron sharpens iron situation. We can see this was already a problem in 2006 where the gap between the Italians that were 30-35 and the italians that were 18-25 was already huge. That golden generation came from the era where you were only allowed so many foreigners. Many of the smaller clubs in Portugal Ligue 1 Eredivisse Belgium Pro and now in leagues like Norway and Sweden certainly Swiss are not much richer than the Serie B clubs that feautre 90% Italians but Serie B isn't quite a high enough level to rapidly develop talent though it is improving again. Teams like Sassuolo Venezia Genoa Verona Lecce have just enough money to be able to purchase cheap foreigners that they can hope to sell. The incentive to develop a youth player which is crap shoot is financially not there nor is it there for the manager that just wants to win to get his own promotion. Its difficult. England has shown it is possible even the Championship is only 65% English but they've managed to invest in their youth systems and infrastructure enough to produce an abundance of talent even if some are overrated they are making it work without the sheer number of domestic players playing in the Premier League.
Reggiani scores today with a clean sheet and a 8.5 rating happy for the youngster. A Croatian coach Germany gave this kid a chance while serie a continues to be backwards
Fantastic to see him doing so well at 18. Between him Ahanor Leoni Comuzzo we have some interesting young defenders but since we are so light at RCB he surely will make his mark sooner or later.
Tonali's agent today explaining the problem I was describing. Remember despite the Serie A not being what it once was financially it is still the league that spends the second most on transfers. This is a global market and Italians are a liability. We'd be better off is Serie A was worse of financially ironically enough. “Yes, but also because a lot of owners often make profits from trading players, and from here they’ve understood that a young, foreign player has more of a market abroad when looking at a future resale. It’s their ability to speak foreign languages, the mentality, the ability to adapt quicker. “Often today, when it’s a choice between an 18-year-old Italian and an 18-year-old from abroad, we’ll go with the foreigner, which is why it’s difficult to develop big players in Italy. “You have to sell to make money in football, and you have to take on these foreign profiles, which have a wider range on the market, in order to do so. So, it’s very complicated. Italian kids are often punished as a result.”
If Milan can win this week and reduce it to a 5pt lead with Inter facing Fiorentina Roma Como in the next three games the title race could be back on. Mind you Milan probably has to win every game the rest of the way and their schedule is not easy but it's not impossible. Politano with a huge effort today. I did not have him in my team but I expect Gatusso will want him as a RWB option so it's good that he's catching form now.
for sure speaking of Vergara have you seen Rao ripping it up for Bari? That kid needs to be back at Napoli next year can't let another Vergara sit. He looks special.
I saw that before of Fotmob, I wanted to see some of the highlights. Also Zappacosta has been performing well too. Seems to be all over the field.
This kid could literally be our RCB starter: Luca Reggiani vs Augsburg pic.twitter.com/GCtGS7ijiD— Travi (@Travi3it) March 14, 2026
Politano came off with an injury, another one added to the list. I have 11 guys on our injury list, but a few of them may return in time.
I'm seeing reports that it was just cramps hopefully nothing serious, that might affect his play though. We definitely have more depth on that right side now than we did a few months ago. Palestra, Kayode and Zappacosta the veteran playing well
He coudn't be worse.... Just read this about him on AI! Emanuele Rao signed a five-year contract with SSC Napoli in July 2025, which runs until June 30, 2030. He has also been a regular for the Italy national youth teams, representing them at three different age levels. Napoli Contract Details Contract Duration: 5 years (signed as a free agent from SPAL). Expiry Date: June 30, 2030. Current Status: On a season-long loan at SSC Bari (Serie B) until June 30, 2026. Market Value: Estimated between €1M and €1.6M as of early 2026. International Career Stats Rao has progressed through the Italian national youth system, earning consistent call-ups for his performances as a winger. National Team Achievements/Status Italy U17 Earned initial international experience at the youth level. Italy U18 Part of the squad that won the Italian Youth Championship (U18). Italy U19 His most recent youth level; he participated in several international friendlies and qualifiers. His development in the national team setup was a key reason why major clubs, and ultimately Napoli, tracked him before his professional breakout.
Vergara’s presence was missed today for Napoli especially in the first half. He brings this energy and choas to the midfield. Such a shame he’s injured