Asking for Messi's autograph and sitting his exams, the 18-year-old embodies Italy's new dawn & More News Here

After greater than an hour of goalless toil towards Germany final Saturday, Italy supervisor Roberto Mancini turned to his bench.

But when the digital camera panned to the substitute readied on the touchline, many Azzurri followers didn’t know who they have been . The reply, as Germany would quickly discover out to their value, was an 18-year-old FC Zurich ahead known as Wilfried Gnonto.

Within 5 minutes of the diminutive winger’s introduction, he skinned his marker and whipped an inviting cross into the six-yard field to arrange Lorenzo Pellegrini for the opening aim.

Germany quickly struck again to earn a 1-1 draw, however the influence of the unknown teen was a symbolic second in what has been billed as a new period for the Italian nationwide staff.

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A younger staff that includes six debutants and just one survivor from the Euro 2020 closing, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, restored some hope to a nation nonetheless reeling from its second consecutive failure to succeed in the World Cup.

In the Italian media, Corriere dello Sport branded it “The Reawakening”, Gazzetta stated there was “light ahead”, whereas Sky introduced: “Mancini the visionary has returned”.

If England followers anticipate a Euro 2020 closing rematch on Saturday, they are going to be dissatisfied, as this Italy staff will seemingly look very completely different from the one which broke Wembley hearts 11 months in the past to the day.

Italy suffered a spectacular post-Euros hunch, profitable one in every of their closing 5 World Cup qualifiers to drop into second place earlier than a humiliating play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

Mancini fielded criticism for being too loyal to the Euros-winning gamers, earlier than a 3-0 loss to Argentina in the “Finalissima” earlier this month heralded the finish for the outdated guard.

“I must thank the guys who have played in these last four years…but we had it in mind that after this game certain things would change,” Mancini stated. “We need to find new players and put together a team that will suffer to start with but could bring us joy in the future”.

The coach has been true to his phrase. Gnonto’s call-up was the most shocking, as few knew a lot about the former Inter youth participant, who’s juggling his newfound fame with preparation for his closing highschool exams.

“I had to bring him his books so he can study at the training ground,” Gnonto’s father Boris stated.

Gnonto’s time in the Italy camp began with him ready for an hour outdoors the Argentina altering room to get Lionel Messi’s autograph, however he has now featured in every of their final two video games, having began in Tuesday’s 2-1 win over Hungary.

The teenager is way from the solely shock choice, although; Davide Frattesi, Mattia Cancellieri, Federico Dimarco, Samuele Ricci, Tommaso Pobega and Alessio Zerbin additionally earned debuts in the final two video games.

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Mancini has all the time been open to new faces, with Zerbin – who spent this season on mortgage from Napoli in Serie B with Frosinone – being the 45^th participant he’s handed a debut to in 4 years.

More might comply with: Zerbin’s Frosinone team-mate Federico Gatti, Brazil-born Lazio defender Luiz Felipe, Atalanta teenager Giorgio Scalvini, Verona ahead Gianluca Caprari and one other Serie B participant, SPAL’s Salvatore Esposito, are nonetheless in the squad ready on an Italy bow.

Asked about giving caps to second-tier gamers, Mancini stated: “They play football in Serie B too, it’s not another sport!”

But the gamers themselves can barely imagine it. Cancellieri, who made simply 12 Serie A appearances for Verona in 2021-22, described his debut as “an absurd emotion” and praised Mancini’s “courage to launch young players”.

The new period has begun, and for the Azzurri, the hope is that will probably be extra long-lasting than the Euro 2020 champions.

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