Sporting ace sparks intercontinental diplomatic row before debut | OneFootball

Issa Doumbia will have scouts from two national teams he is eligible to represent at international level keeping a close eye on him. The midfielder will be watched in Estrela da Amadora - Sporting by an envoy from the Italian Football Federation, while he also remains eligible to represent Ivory Coast, the country of his parents’ origin.

On the sporting side, Rui Borges has been using the player in more advanced areas during pre-season, where he has already made his mark against Strasbourg and Nottingham Forest. For the trip to Estrela da Amadora, the No. 77 shirt is a strong candidate to fill the left side of Sporting’s attack.

In the final training session before the start of the league campaign, the Sporting manager tested Doumbia in the front three, alongside Rodrigo Zalazar and Geny Catamo, with Fotis Ioannidis in the most advanced role. Sergi Altimira and Silas Andersen formed the midfield pairing in that drill, increasing the chances of the Italian featuring as a winger in Reboleira.

Doumbia’s preference at this stage is to represent the Italian national team, despite being eligible to play for Ivory Coast because of his family roots. His official debut for Sporting could therefore be an important opportunity for the young midfielder to start earning points with the people in charge of the squadra azzurra.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.