Marcel Desailly has declared Roberto Mancini the best man to steer Italy through their current football crisis, insisting no one else is better suited to the job. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport ahead of Italy’s Nations League clash with France in Paris, the former France and AC Milan defender acknowledged the challenge Italy faces after missing three consecutive World Cups but urged patience coupled with urgency.
Desailly pointed out the vast gap in resources and quality between Italy and the top footballing nations. “We have three national teams. France A, France B and France C, and we can win something important with all of them,” he said. “You are rebuilding one now. Give yourselves time, but don’t take it too easy. The question is very simple: you have to rebuild from zero and that can’t be done in a day. But the other national teams aren’t standing around watching, in the meantime they grow, they develop, they improve. You have to run at double speed to make up the lost ground.”
The Frenchman is convinced Mancini is the right man to handle Italy’s rebuild. “There’s nobody better than Mancini to get through the great crisis you’re going through. Three times without a World Cup, unbelievable. I see that faith in young players has returned and that’s a good thing. So we French can teach you something too,” Desailly said.
Mancini has indeed prioritized youth, with his Italy XI that lost to Belgium averaging just 23 years old. Nine uncapped players were called up in his first squad, including Issa Doumbia and Mohamed Ali Zoma, who both made their debuts. The young side’s 4-1 victory over Turkey in Bursa, Turkey, helped stabilize the team’s trajectory.
Desailly’s remarks come as Italy tries to re-establish itself after a prolonged period of underachievement. Missing three straight World Cups has placed pressure on the Azzurri to find new talent and a new identity. Mancini’s approach of blooding young players and rebuilding from scratch fits the scale of the task at hand.
While focused on Italy, Desailly also praised the new French coach, Zinedine Zidane, who faces Italy on Friday in Paris. “Blanc, Deschamps, Zidane, my generation is leaving something to the national team. Zinedine is very intelligent, he knows what it means to be successful, and we have so much potential that it won’t be difficult for him to get results soon. We have faith in his insight and in the quality of the team’s play,” Desailly said.
The Nations League match will test both teams’ direction under their new coaches. For Italy, the focus remains on rebuilding quickly amid tough competition. Mancini’s leadership and Desailly’s backing underline the stakes ahead for the former world champions.
According to Yahoo Sports.
