Casiraghi names new U-21 side

By: Francesco | March 20th, 2009

After this summer’s UEFA U-21 Championship, the current cycle will end and a new cycle (2009-2011) will start, which will result in a new Azzurrini team being put together because the current players will be too old to be eligible. Therefore in preparation for the qualifiers in September, Casiraghi is using next week’s friendly vs. Austria as a trial run for the new U-21 side. Casiraghi has called 19 players, and six have already been called up to the current U-21 side. Here is the complete list:

Portieri: Fiorillo (Sampdoria), Seculin (Fiorentina);

Difensori: Ariaudo (Juventus), Bellusci (Ascoli), Crescenzi (Roma), Darmian (Milan), Malomo (Roma), Ranocchia (Bari), Renzetti (Albinoleffe);

Centrocampisti: Barillà (Reggina), Bolzoni (Inter), Castiglia (Cittadella), Cia (Triestina), Di Gennaro (Reggina), Pasquato (Empoli), Poli (Sassuolo);

Attaccanti: Immobile (Juventus), Mendicino (Lazio), Paloschi (Parma)

In goal, Vincenzo Fiorillo has been tagged as the “new Buffon” and we’ll see if he lives up to the hype. Andrea Seculin is another prospect and has been made third choice at Fiorentina behind Frey and Storari.

In defense, Lorenzo Ariaudo has already been given a run in Serie A by Ranieri, while Alessandro Crescenzi made his Serie A debut for Roma against Sampdoria last week. Andrea Ranocchia has already played for the Azzurini, while Bellusci leads Ascoli’s backline in Serie B and is being targeted by top Serie A clubs. Matteo Darmian has long been on Milan’s official roster but doesn’t get much of a look from Ancelotti. However he is one of the best products to come out of Milan’s barren youth system in recent years. I honestly don’t know anything about Renzetti of Albinoleffe and Malomo of Roma.

In midfield, Antonio Barilla’ has become a starter in midfield for Reggina and has put in some big performances this season. Francesco Bolzoni is a Pirlo type player, one who knows how to organize the play, and has played for the U-21’s already. Michael Cia has always been touted as a top prospect and is currently at Triestina, while Andrea Poli was part of Italy’s U-20 run last summer and is a very interesting prospect. He’s doing well at Sassuolo and he really is a midfielder that can do it all. Christian Pasquato has had a so-so year at Empoli but he’s one of Juve’s top prospects. He has loads of technique. Davide Di Gennaro was called the “Italian Kaka” when he was with Milan’s Primavera and has had a decent first Serie A season at Reggina. He also has loads of technical ability. I don’t know much about Ivan Castiglia of Cittadella.

In attack, Ciro Immobile recently made his Serie A debut for Juventus and is the star striker of the Primavera side that won the Viareggio tournament. We all know who Alberto Paloschi is by now, and Francesco Mendicino is Lazio’s youth system gem.

Missing from the roster are Davide Santon and Mario Balotelli, who with all probability will be called up to the current U-21 side for their friendly with Holland later this month. Also missing is Lorenzo De Silvestri, but he is also probably on the list for the current U-21 side. Andrea Russotto is missing too, but I think Casiraghi knows him well enough and he may be called to the current side.