🇮🇹 Should Italy stick with Baldini? Why we can't afford to 🙏 | OneFootball

Two friendlies, sure. Two lower-level opponents: absolutely. But Silvio Baldini’s Italy won over, at least emotionally, anyone who chose to watch the friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.

The wild celebration after holding firm in stoppage time with 10 men against 11 highlights several things: first and foremost the (justified) adrenaline of an U21 side beating a senior national team, and secondly, it tells us about the excellent work done by Silvio Baldini.

Baldini has shed some labels

The biggest mistake one could make in the aftermath of Greece-Italy is to fall into the rhetoric of: “Well, we were playing against Greece.” That’s a narrative we can no longer afford, as Sweden, North Macedonia and Bosnia have taught us.

Baldini’s Italy was aggressive in its approach, well-drilled in its play and full of spirit. The pressing phases looked effective, players filled the box often (even with 10 men against 11), and up until the sending-off Italy had taken very little risk, almost none.

In short: a positive Italy that gave Baldini the chance to get something (not exactly small) off his chest: “In the world of football there are people who stick labels on you. I’m not some nobody, the road is long and winding. Will many want me to stay? I wanted to be useful, I’m not interested in anything else.”

The label of a provincial coach with ‘play-the-game’ tendencies, chasing a utopia that lets you move forward but never win, is unfair to Baldini. And if these matches may not be enough to make him the national team coach, they have certainly changed the way Italy sees Silvio Baldini.

We can’t afford a ‘De la Fuente-style’ solution

If we look abroad, we find striking cases of coaches moving from the U21s to the senior team: like De la Fuente with Spain, who, however, can rely on an entire system that is now essentially on autopilot (to which De la Fuente himself has contributed) thanks to planning put in place decades ago.

Italy now needs to rebuild and Baldini cannot be the leading figure of a movement that still has to understand what to do, how to do it and on what timeline. These matches this week, however, made us understand that Baldini must certainly continue to be a hugely important member of the “Italy Family”, as he called it.

Italy cannot afford Silvio Baldini, at least not today. If in 8 years we have a steady stream of talent, a coherent playing identity, a changed Serie A mentality and a more functional system, then Baldini will be the right person at the right time. Today he risks being a valuable person at the wrong time and in a place that is too important.

Baldini didn’t want to be head coach, but to send a message

Baldini did not lead Italy in these two matches with the aim of becoming the senior national team coach, and his choices reflect his intentions. Because calling up only U21 players and then accepting Donnarumma’s availability is a statement of intent.

It was the definitive message: Lipani is on the bench at Sassuolo but plays for Italy, the same goes for Comuzzo and many others. It was a provocation and it remains one, even if the results were positive. Mancini or Conte or whoever arrives will have to understand it, but above all the next FIGC president will have to.

Let’s not underestimate what Baldini has done in the last two matches, but let’s not exaggerate the consequences of two friendlies after the end of the season either. What’s needed is balance, which absolutely does not mean the status quo.

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

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