Young, but ready to go. Gennaro Gattuso was clear: talent isn’t enough, personality is also needed. The Head Coach has called up Giovanni Leoni, Giovanni Fabbian, and Francesco Pio Esposito to the First Team for the first time. Each player will play a different role, but they each possess the same desire to emerge in a footballing world that doesn’t give much space to younger players. While Leoni moved to the Premier League, joining the likes of Donnarumma, Vicario, Calafiori, Tonali, and Chiesa, Fabbian and Esposito are faced with the tough task of making an impact in a Serie A that is becoming ever more international.

Fabbian highlighted this: “I think there are a lot of young players in Italy like there are abroad, the important thing is to have the chance to make a mistake and try again”. Esposito added: “Young players are launched a bit more, I’m not sure why, but this is the way”.

FABBIAN. One of the main stars in a breakout season, which culminated in a Coppa Italia win, Fabbian remained at Bologna despite a lot of interest from different clubs. Gattuso compared him to Frattesi for his ability when it comes to making runs into the area, and his eight goals with the Rossoblù and four goals with the Under-21 team confirm this ability, which was already appreciated by his former Coach at Reggina and World Cup winner, Filippo Inzaghi. “Playing for the National Team is a source of pride, and wearing this shirt is every kid’s dream. We have the chance here to play alongside some great Champions, and we will need to try and learn as much as possible from them. The important thing is to have humility”. Giovanni studies as much on the pitch as he does off of it, showing that he has clear ideas for the future: “I am taking an Economics course with an online University. I think it’s a path that is aligned with my thoughts, the career of a footballer is not the longest, and I have to think about something to do after, this is mainly why I started it”.

ESPOSITO. It’s been an unforgettable week for Francesco Pio Esposito, who celebrated his call-up on Friday with a Serie A debut on Sunday for Inter, after playing and scoring in the FIFA Club World Cup: “It’s all happening so quickly. I’m so happy to be here for the first time; it’s an amazing feeling. This is a positive moment in time, but things can change quickly in football so you need to have balance”. Happy with the compliments received from Fabrizio Ravanelli (“I’m glad he sees himself in me”) and with the comparison to Mario Mandžukić (“I’m that type of striker, one who fights for every ball using their physicality”), when it comes to Italy’s past he especially recalls one goal—actually, a brace: “Balotelli’s against Germany (Euro 2012 semi-final), it was my birthday and I was at home with friends.” Italy’s last participation in a World Cup dates back two years: “I suffered from missing out on the last two World Cups, now we are here to try to reverse this trend.”

The youngest of the three Esposito brothers could make his debut with the National Team, just three years after Salvatore, who made his debut under Roberto Mancini at the age of 21. Rushing through the stages is in the family: “Salvatore told me to enjoy the experience, to experience the moment without worrying too much. When I’m with my brothers, we don’t try to talk about football”. Just like with the National Team, there are many people to learn from at Inter: “I take the aggression from Lautaro, he does everything at 100%, even in training. From Thuram, it’s about the simplicity in doing things. I’ve always liked Scamacca, he’s a complete striker”.

LEONI. Strength and character are embedded in his surname, just like the imposing presence of his physique that allows him to tower over and contain any striker with his 196 centimeters. At just 18 years old, Giovanni Leoni has celebrated a summer of maturing with a move that will stay with him forever, from Parma to Liverpool. When you’re young and 17 appearances in Serie A attract the attention of the reigning Premier League champions, something is going right. He spoke about his first call-up to the Men’s National Team: “Being here is an indescribable feeling, it’s an honour to be part of this group and training alongside such good players. I spoke to the Head Coach in the Summer but I didn’t expect a call-up”.

Gattuso has remained impressed by his personality and the way in which he handled players like Romelu Lukaku and Dusan Vlahovic: “I’m really happy to hear this from the Coach, who has had a brilliant career. I will need to repay him and help him see what I can do on the pitch”. Having already been coached by Pirlo at Parma, he is now under the management of another 2006 World Champion, the year of his birth: “I took a look back at some of the pictures from the 2006 win, it gives a certain feeling when you’re coached by a Champion from that time. It’s an honour”. His idol growing up was Virgil Van Dijk, who has just become his teammate: “I now have the chance to play alongside him and share the locker room with him. He’s an exceptional person and phenomenal player. I spoke to Bonucci too, here, and he gave me some tips, he was a great defender. I always liked his leadership and ability to play the ball to feet”.

SQUAD LIST

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Nicolò Rovella (Lazio), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);

Forwards: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).