Italy debutant Nicolussi Caviglia takes ‘inspiration’ from Cruyff and Pirlo | OneFootball

Italy debutant Hans Nicolussi Caviglia takes ‘inspiration’ from Johan Cruyff and Andrea Pirlo and is certain that his Fiorentina teammate Moise Kean will make a ‘decisive step forward’ this season.

Nicolussi Caviglia was among the players receiving the first senior Italy call-up in October.

The Fiorentina midfielder is one of the new faces at Coverciano this month, alongside his teammate Roberto Piccoli and Bologna winger Nicolò Cambiaghi.

The latter and Nicolussi Caviglia spoke at a press conference on Wednesday as Italy prepare for World Cup qualifying fixtures against Estonia and Israel.

Nicolussi Caviglia’s Italy press conference

VENICE, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Hans Nicolussi Caviglia of Venezia and Lucas Gourna-Douath of Roma in action during the Serie A match between Venezia and AS Roma at Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo on February 09, 2025 in Venice, Italy. (Photo by Timothy Rogers/Getty Images)

“To come from such a small region [Valle d’Aosta] and reach the national team is a great source of pride,” said Nicolussi Caviglia, via TMW.

“The salt of life is curiosity and desire. The coach has put the former; I’ll try to add the latter.

“I’ve received something different from all my coaches, but the coach [Gattuso] makes his choices depending on what he needs.”

Another Fiorentina teammate of Nicolussi Caviglia, Moise Kean, has only scored one goal in seven appearances at a club level this term, but had a standout role on the international stage last month, netting once against Estonia and once against Israel.

Nicolussi Caviglia inspired by Cruyff and Pirlo

DORTMUND, GERMANY – JULY 04: Andrea Pirlo of Italy celebrates during the FIFA World Cup Germany 2006 Semi-final match between Germany and Italy played at the Stadium Dortmund on July 04, 2006 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

“I have a unique rapport with him; we’ve known each other for our entire lives, and I know what kind of player he is,” said Nicolussi Caviglia.

“We are not machines; every period is different, but it’s important to always give our best. Moise is an excellent guy who always gives his all, and he can show all his qualities. He did very well last season, and I think he’ll confirm himself this term, making a decisive step forward.”

Nicolussi Caviglia also spoke about his role models on and off the field: “I’ve always taken inspiration from Johan Cruyff for his vision. Not just for football, he’s always been a role model to me. In Italy, we’ve had the best Regista ever, Pirlo, so why not get inspiration from him too? I’ve learned a lot from him.”

Nicolussi Caviglia, 25, joined Fiorentina from Venezia in the 2025 summer transfer window and has provided one assist in four Serie A appearances this term.