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Originally Posted by Samaldinho
I would disagree with the characterization that there is a lack of talent with Italian youth. I think the issue is less about the quality that Italian youth teams are producing, and more so to do with the fact that Italian clubs are actually preventing the immense talent that they do have from developing properly.
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I respect your points, Salmadinho...
But if they(players) were really good, they would have cracked first team play. Btw, before I write more here, itīs good to remember that very few kids from the youth teams "make it" to the next level. Even in Brazil where teams invest zillions of money in amazing youth complex, very few turn into very good players, or even become a good backup. So, I really disagree with the way people throw a lot of names here saying they are "Milan level" just because they are Italians. Thats not the real world(imo).
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Both Italian clubs and the NT are in a tough position. A great generation of players are closing out their careers. Totti, Del Piero, Nesta, Cannavaro, Grosso, Gattuso, Camoranesi, etc. These players were pillars of their clubs team and the success of the NT. In order to continue to compete, clubs were willing to bring in foreigners to help transition these older players out. Many of the clubs did not allow for the youngsters to properly develop, or they would sell them off to smaller clubs after growing frustrated with them. Some of these players failed to live up to their potential, Gilardino is an example.
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Maybe Iīm wrong, but I think Germany brings much more foreigners to their big clubs than Italy, and that didnīt prevent them to develope great young talent to NT. Imo to put the blame on foreigners is cheap and will not solve the problem. If thats was the real problem, Portugal would not have developed talent. Have you ever seen the amount of foreigners on the Portuguese League?!? They have much more foreigners than Italy... Itīs not even close.
In Spain, with 2 years a foreigner can get a Spanish passport(unlike Italy) and donīt count as a foreigner. They have a lot of no Spanish players on their teams and thats not prevent them to produce a lot of talent and become World Champions...
Do you think itīs coincidence that Spain since the early 90īs is fighting for titles in under-17 and under-20īs World Cups with Brazil, Argentine, Germany and some Africa NTīs and Italy not? Maybe Iīm being unfair, but I watch a lot of youth World Cups, and canīt remember the last time I saw a Italy NT making a impact on those tournaments... And thats also can be said about England.
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However, players like Cassano, Giovinco, Montolivo, are playing at clubs that they wouldn't be playing for if they were German or Spanish. The idea that Italian youth teams are not producing talent is not correct, the problem is that clubs are either mismanaging the talent or the fact that more and more Italian talent is being developed abroad.
Giuseppi Rossi, Macheda, Diego Contento, are but a few examples of players that came through because they were developed abroad.
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Sorry, but Cassano and Giovinco had their chance and for different reasons, arenīt in a big club anymore. People are too soft if the player is Italian. Imo Gourcuf had less
fair chances than Giovinco in a big Italian club, but I donīt see the same buzz about him. If you want to be a big club player, you need to produce, period. Big teams needs to win "yesterday", and thereīs no space for the ones not delivering... at least outside of the bench.
In Brazil I saw a good example this season. A young player we were linked this season(Bernardo from Cruzeiro) played very good for Brazil youth NT and had a chance last season to play for Cruzeiro(big team here) first team. Despite being a great talent, he failed to make a impact. Cruzeiro was lacking a #10 badly last season and put their hopes in Bernardo. But like Giovinco, he didnīt help himself.
This season they loaned him to Goias(Rafael Toloi team) to develope, and purchased a veteran(Gilberto) and a foreigner(Montillo from Argentine) to battle for the #10 spot. Montillo made a splash and was chosen to Brasileirao 2010 first team. Bernardo had a very good Brasileirao playing for Goias(middle team relegated to Serie B this year and in the final of South America "Europe League") but will need to show much more to be a starter for Cruzeiro ahead of the foreigner(Montillo, an Argie) next year.
Giuliano also is playing out of position this season to make room for a foreigner (Another Argie, DīAlessandro) and Tinga at Internacional. After being the best player of Internacional last season in Brasileirao and shine in under-20 WC, he could have complained and asked to leave. He chose to stay, played(and won) Libertadores as a sub, and was the MVP of Internacional in the tournament comming of the bench. Thats the right mind set to be a big club player imo...
To make it short, imo Italy has much less problems with foreigners than others Countries that are producing better talent at the moment. Imo, they need to take a relly good look at what their coaches are doing in all levels... at least for me, itīs clear they arenīt producing the same level of players anymore. Not even GKīs and CBīs...