Long International Breaks: Yes or No? Serie A Candidates for Argentina's No.10 ✅

Football Italia

Long international break debate and Serie A restart preview: Napoli, Juventus, Milan and Nico Paz in focus

The show first debates whether a three-week international break is too long, then previews the main Serie A talking points as club football returns. The guest argues the long break helped Italy but was broadly negative for clubs, and the pair discuss Milan's injuries, Napoli's issues with Allegri and De Bruyne, Juventus's uncertainty, Cagliari's youth approach, Nico Paz and Argentina's No.10, and Inter's attacking depth. The overall take is that the break remains controversial and several big Serie A sides still have plenty to solve.

✅ Subscribe To The Channel for More Videos: / / footballitalia ✅ Important Links: 👉 Website: https://football-italia.net/ 🔥 The international break is finally over, and club football returns this weekend. Lorenzo Bettoni and Giancarlo Rinaldi discuss the biggest talking points in Serie A ahead of the restart. From the upcoming showdown between Nico Paz and Paulo Dybala, fresh off Argentina's emotional farewell to Lionel Messi, to the challenges facing Napoli, Inter, Juventus and Milan in the weeks ahead. After three weeks without Serie A action, football is back. But what about you? Did you enjoy the long international break, or were you counting down the days until club football returned? ✅ Stay Connected With Us: 👉Instagram: / @gazzettafootballitalia 👉 (X)Twitter: https://x.com/footballitalia

Transcript

Welcome back to the Football Italia channel. The international break is over. Syria is back after three weeks and we want to know from you. Did you like such an extended break or is three weeks just too much without club football? We answered this question as well and more about Syria which resumes this weekend. Let's find out. [music] >> [music] >> Joining me today is Janaldi Junk. Thank you so much for joining me. As usual, it's a pleasure to have you here. >> I'm looking forward to it. >> Three weeks we've talked about Italy national team for nearly a month. We touched on everything, went to cover channel, covered all the games from the ground. It's time for Syria to return. But before we start, as I said before, did you like the break? Three weeks. >> It comes very soon in the season, doesn't it? You know, you've hardly got started in Syria and then you're straight into the international break and it's a long break, you know. So, I think for some teams it'll have been welcome, maybe teams that started not so well. for others, you know, a bit frustrating perhaps if you're off to a good start. You don't really want to be taking a break and you don't want to be sending your players away. I think the best person the person it was best for was probably Roberto Manini because if Yeah, I think if he'd have taken those two games, the first two games, it wouldn't have been great, you know, and he didn't have he wouldn't have had the chance >> to bring back Romano and let him have another game, you know, let players come back. So it gave him definitely from a national team coach point of view I think it was great because two games is a very short time to learn something whereas we learned quite a lot I think over over the four games that you know we the first game was terrible. So if we'd only had that kind of in our memory I think it wouldn't have been great but because there was definitely an upward trajectory across the four games I think it was good. So I think it'll be welcomed by international managers but you know the the it was already unwelcome by club managers and club fans. So I think it'll be even less welcome even less welcome to have such a long break. I didn't mind it but as I say it came quite early in the season so you're only kind of getting into the rhythm of Syria getting into the rhythm of league football and you're taking this break. But from an Italian national team point of view, I think it was it turned out to be quite positive because as I say, I think over two games, we were getting quite negative indicators. Whereas over four games, we started to get, you know, a stronger feeling and it was a good chance for some of the younger players, I think particularly Michael Coyote to to kind of grab the attention and take stake a claim for a place going forward for of course quite a long time. >> Yeah, it's true. I mean uh especially for those new coaches and especially for uh Roberto Manini was good to have nearly a month working uh with the players. Before it used to be like one or two league games then two weeks break then back to club football then breaks in October and November. This break practically combined the September and October break. So the next one will be um in November. Uh you mentioned uh some of the possible um consequences for uh club managers because now we go towards uh a uh fix list where we'll have nine games uh before the next break. So it will be Syria European football, Syria European football, Syria European football until we get to the next break. Will be interesting to see what the coaches say uh during the pre-match press conferences. And uh I think something that hasn't been discussed about this break is what the players feel because the fact that we they earn so much money makes us feel that whatever they give them it's fine like they just have to play but is I don't think it's necessarily this way. I mean they having such a long break means they have to be away from their families from 3 weeks which for 3 weeks which I don't think is is ideal but in terms of coverage and in terms of preparations for the game on a national team perspective I think perhaps it would make sense to have just two long breaks across the season and then it's all club football but let's see because obviously the amount of games played um for club and country will always be a um a talking point, a matter of concern over over the next few years as has been until now. Uh just a few numbers on this international break and how uh the playing time impacted on um on um Syria clubs at least the top ones. Milan, I'm reading an article from Gazeta this morning are the Syria team that got the most minutes among the players 2,600 something like that. 2,3 300 for uh in then Napoli slightly um above 2,00 Juventus 1,700 1,500 for como,200 for Latio and,232 Latio and 1,200 for uh Roma. uh Milan had issues with injuries as well because they got now Sal Marquez and Estupinan who are not expected to be available for the next game and this will have consequences for um Ruben Amore. Now, uh, Esto Finan was a semi-regular starter on the left. Um, although he had issues, he had problems, especially the last game, he faced criticism. Uh, so he he hasn't been a great start for him even though he he he's still considered, I think, a semi-regular start. And Sal Marquez technically, he can play right midfielder or left midfielder in a morin system, but he's mostly being used as an attacking midfielder. So technically uh Ruben Amore has one less option in terms of attacking midfield and Gazeta writes this morning other media as well saying the same that an option for Amorim would be to test Diego Morera as one of the two attacking midfielders. So assuming um Christian Pulizik is back regularly in the starting 11. He didn't play with the US USN main national team with the USA in during the break. He remained in Milan. So assuming he starts then Mora could be the other attacking midfielder with Alfajce on the bench. Um another talking point for Milan is Gonzalo Ramos. He had a um very good break. I don't know whether that was enough to bench Cristiano Ronaldo, but probably he was. [laughter] He regardless of his performances, Cristiano is getting a bit old. Those who followed Juventus over the last few years wouldn't wouldn't be surprised to know that he was uh I mean it for the last few years, the feeling I have about Cristiano Ronaldo is that it hasn't been much about of the team but much more about himself. But let's leave this aside that I think Milan will really want to I mean will do all they can to make sure Gonalo Ramos has the same chances and is as involved especially in the final third as he is for Portugal national team because one of the big issues with Ramos so far is that just plays too far away from the goal. >> Yeah. Know they want to get him. He's clearly he loves shooting. He loves being in that final third and getting goals. So, make sure you do everything to get him there. You don't really want him to be working back, tracking back, doing covering. You you want him as close to goal as you can. It' be interesting to see that Morera won me for a bit from I thought he was terrible the first time he played, but then after that he started to get a lot better, you know. So, I I think he's improved quite a bit. Sally Mackers be a loss because he's another player that, you know, I didn't really fully appreciate, I don't think. I I didn't rate him much at all, but he's actually grown on me and he's a very handy player to slot in in a number of positions, I think. And managers do love that kind of players, you know, so if he's out for any length of time, that would be that would be a bit of a blow. I saw talk that it could be Bartisagi's moment as well for Milan. So, you know, that would be that would be nice as well, I think. But yeah, he's got a few headaches to resolve, but at least this time, we've discussed this before that Amarim's off to quite a good start with Milan. So, you know, he's bought a bit of credit. He's got a bit of time on his side to um to try and get the team right and get everything functioning as best he can. Whereas, you know, in his previous incarnation, everything went wrong pretty quickly and it was all he was always playing catchup to kind of get the fans back on side. Milan will be visiting Sasual next Sunday which uh you know those who follow Syria know it's uh it's not necessarily an easy fixture not just because Solo already beat Juventus at home but because historically this is swallow clash has always been pretty hard for Milan Max knows it quite well because he was sacked after a defeat and Esau swallow a few years ago and he's still having a tough time Maxi at Napoli. I covered uh from the studio Frankie the most recent Napoli game against Florentina who won one draw. Um before like in the press area there are different rooms for the different interviews that the coaches have to make. So when he finished his interviews with the televisions and he was ready to come with a press conference with the rest of of reporters there was one journalist who asked Allegri how you feeling how you feeling and it was furious junk it was he was just saying I'm really hungry I'm really hungry I'm really hungry and and when he when he started the press conference it was like he was just repeating the same thing he was very disappointed with the team's attitude he said we have to improve he also mentioned Kevin de Bruin has one of the players who have who has to give more and during the break the Kevin de Bruin performances with Belgium have been a talking point as well because he's been much better than what we saw at Napoli. Now again um I covered two Napoli games from from the ground this this season so far away at Inter and away at Fentina and I have to say that um it it didn't really look in in great shape. Uh obviously the quality of his passes is always there but then uh the physicality that he puts in the it doesn't seem he's obviously not the same player that he was at Manchester City but uh Napoli can't really do without him because the quality has uh it it on the one hand it's true that he has to give something more for Napoli doesn't honestly uh feel too motivated. I feel the same since last season under Antonio Conte and at the same time perhaps he should be tested closer to the goal because if he doesn't have that dynamism anymore to go up and up and down the field then I think Allegri will have to use his quality as close as possible to the goal. >> Yeah. know I mean I was um I think a lot of Napoli fans would be concerned at how good Kevin De Bruyne looked for his national team and how poor he's looked for for Napoli on occasion. I mean the couple of games I've watched of Napoli I thought they br keeping him on because he is Kevin De Bruyne not really because he was having a positive influence on the game. So, you know, that's a worry that speaks to me of somebody who maybe is is not liking the way the football's being played in Naples and, you know, is is more happy with the way that the the Belgian national team play, you know, or maybe just more motivated there, which that's obviously a concern. Hopefully um I think there's a chance that Scott McTominay will be back in the squad anyway for the that will make a a big difference because you know he's definitely a player that um gives gives them a boost. Billy Gilmore I saw a bit of because he had a good he had a pretty good um in although Scotland had their ups and downs. Gilmore I think hit 50 caps for Scotland. So you know he's I think he's the youngest player to do that. So, got a lot of potential, but there's still something. I think we said this at the start though, there seems to be a mismatch between how Allegri wants to play and how Napoli fans would like to see their team play and that's going to be, you know, a bit of an issue. I mean, you were at the the Florentina game. I thought that Napoli kind of got the goal, went into their shell a bit and, you know, let Florentina come back at them. Whereas if they pushed on, I think they had the quality to make Florentina suffer more. So, you know, it's a it's a difficult one. I think is Vara now out with a an injury as well. So that's a that's a blow although he wasn't getting that much of a look in really and I think that was annoying Napoli fans as well that it seemed to be quite a a conservative team and quite a which is no surprise quite a team that would wait for the opposition to come on to them and then [clears throat] catch them. So, you know, there's a lot to be there's a lot to be unpicked there in Naples, I think, to get back to being a truly competitive team. And Allegri is a great coach. He, you know, he's he's shown that over time, so he can maybe turn it around, but there's a lot of things for him to work upon. I think he's got the biggest the biggest headaches probably of any um coach of a big side at the moment. >> Yeah, 100%. And uh just another couple of things about Allegri. There was an interesting comparison made by Italian media before the break comparing his postmatch press conference against Florentina and what Conte said after the Bolognia game a year ago where when he said I will not accompany a dead man which I think I mean the mood was very similar I have to say between the two coaches. They were both disappointed especially by the most experienced players and I think that's where Allegri will want to see a step forward and there's another stats that is kind of worrying for Napoli. Um only had 14 touches inside the opponent's box and is the it's one every 26 minutes. This is a start from Opta H. and only Karis Meni had fewer average touches inside the box uh with one every 33 minutes which again it's h it's very different if when we consider that Holland scored three goals during the um international break one thing that Napoli and Juva have in common is their opponent because they will be facing probably those who have been the uh two most surprising team so far and Calgary. Napoli will host Frosen and Juventus will travel to Calgary for the next Syria game. Uh we debated, we spoke about Fzinon um in the past seven players, seven Italian players starting against Ko before the break. They have three po points more than Napoli coming to this game. Caler as well, they've been uh less spectacular. Let me put it this way. Uh but very pragmatic as well. I I have to say I was worried about Keri because when they sold Sebastian Esposto I didn't see they had I I couldn't see a big finisher there, somebody who could make the difference was very important especially um in the relegation battle. But the system just works so well. They got Alexander Romano. They got Maldini who's doing really well. They got Adopo who is an interesting tactical weapon, a bit of a center midfielder, attacking midfielder, right midfielder as well at times. Um, and probably I have to say he underestimated Fabio Pisakane because if you look at the job that he does with young players. Last season it was Marco Pstra. This season is Alexandro Romano. Not saying nobody knew these guys, but nobody would expect them to have such a huge impact straight away with a lesser side with all respect to you like Kay. >> Definitely that's been a surprise, but he obviously knows how to I think we said in the past that you know that's an quite a good place for a young player to come through. I think there's less pressure there and but you know a good a good support as well. They they tend to get behind their team and give their young players a chance and that's you know that I think there's no doubt I was reading during the international break. Um, I was listening to an interview with one of the people who helped choose the Scotland manager and they were talking about the importance of players getting football between the ages of 18 and 21 and how that it doesn't really matter so much what level it's at as long as they're getting regular competitive football. And that's a thing in Italy that we don't see very much. You know, they tend to send them out on loan, keep them on the bench. We've had so many players that have looked good at 17 and 18 and then disappeared by the time they're 22. [clears throat] So in Sardinia, they're they're doing a good job with that. And it's it's always been a tough place to go. But yeah, Pisakani definitely now is a hot property. Italy always produces good coaches. I think he looks like, you know, one of the next rising stars. So, you know, he's he's definitely done a good job. There's a lot of games to go. There's a lot of time to come. There's a lot of risk of losing your best players in in January, which is always a a danger with a a smaller side, but so far he's done an amazing job. >> And what do you expect from you in Calgary? They will probably have Andrea Kambiazo back. They lost one nil against Cremones in one in a friendly play during the break. Kambiazo was tested as a central midfielder because they got a few issues in there with Loatelli out. Um top miners out Douglas Luis coming back from international break with Brazil. They will have Luke coming back from the coming back from the international break as well. Luckily for them not um Glazon Brema does still issues here and there especially with the strikers you don't know how consistent they can be. There is an article on Gazetto de los sport today saying they already have doubts about Wim because it it turns out what we said in the channel here last month which is is not a number nine is is a nine and a half or is a tall number 10 uh but is not the finisher and the classic center forward that um um Spaletti was looking for. So there are a few issues. I think they've shown s some signs of improvements but consistency remains key and you only see that by playing games I think. >> Yeah. No, I mean I think that probably the international break was bad for Juventus in that they're still trying to work out how they piece together the players that they've got into the best formation. You know, I mean, I see now there's talk of using concisaw as like a a Portuguese moalah for for Juventus and and playing closer to goal, you know. I mean, that could be an answer. He's certainly a he's a player he would hate playing against, I think. Because he's he's always so busy and always, you know, looking to beat his man. Whether that's the solution, I don't know. And, you know, I feel sorry for Vada. knew what he was when they signed him. You know, he didn't. It was no secret in international football [clears throat] that that's the kind of player that he is. So, you know, you need to try and work with that rather than expect him to become what he's not. So, you know, I think yes, there's a lot of issues. It hasn't been helped by injuries, that's that's for sure. But, you know, there's a still a lot of issues there to be sorted out. And and as a side note, um I think I read today that did you to send one player to the national team to the Italian national team across sort of under 21s and full national teams which is just such a change from people like myself who grew up with the you the blockco the the Juventus side being kind of the heart of the Italian national team. It does make you question you know what is the what is the direction for UV whereas you always knew I think in the past um what the vision was for Juventus and where they were going now it seems a bit more scatter gun it doesn't seem as organized and methodical you know it used to be that their kind of transfer policy they had approached it was the one that ain't everybody envied that's not so much the case now and they're certainly not the supplier of kind of constant talent to the national team that they once were and they do seem to if they do unearth a talent they do seem to just sell them on now which is you know so there's a lot of long-term issues t