Azzurrini lose to Hungary, qualification in doubt, worst Italy U-21 team of all time?

By: Francesco | November 13th, 2009

casiraghi

The Italy U-21’s continued their very disappointing qualifying campaign with another loss, this time away to Hungary. The Azzurrini needed a win to get back on track, but now qualification is getting more and more difficult. The Hungarians won 2-0, with goals coming from Nemeth and Koman (both players played on the Hungarian side that knocked the Italy U-20’s out of the U-20 World Cup last month). Now, with only 4 games remaining and the maximum amount of points available 12 (assuming Italy win these remaining remaining 4 games), Italy would only reach 16 points, and with Wales already at 13 and Hungary now at 9, a second place finish for a play-off spot even looks a little difficult. Italy has a game in Luxembourg on Tuesday, and if they fail to pick up the three points, we will most probably not see Italy compete in the 2011 European Championship (and that would mean not at the 2012 Summer Olympics either, as the final tournament in 2011 serves as the qualification process). This is looking more and more likely as Pierlugi Casiraghi’s last months as Azzurrini boss and this is definitely the worst U-21 team of all time.

The last time an Italy Under-21 side didn’t qualify for a major tournament was the 1996-1998 cycle. Otherwise, the Azzurrini have always been a force on this level, winning 5 times. The Under-21 side has always been filled with so many promising players that went on to be protagonists on the senior team as well, but this side lacks that overall talent. Besides Mario Balotelli, Andrea Ranocchia, Andrea Poli, and Alberto Paloschi, the rest of the squad doesn’t seem to have much promise and therefore the squad isn’t as strong as other years. Then again you could also blame the inexperience of Casiraghi, who had arguably one of the most talented Italy U-21 sides of all time the past 2 cycles and failed to win anything. His tactics have been questionable a lot of times and he isn’t good at reading games. So, it will be difficult for this side, and it doesn’t look good, even with a win in Luxembourg on Tuesday. We will probably see the resignation or termination of Casiraghi after this cycle is finished and the side will start anew after qualifying.