Gianluca Pagliuca spoke on the phone with ANSA to analyze the current state of Italian football, between the National Team and the league. The former goalkeeper of Sampdoria, Inter and Bologna expressed his point of view on the choice of the new head coach and the hierarchies for the upcoming championship.

On the Azzurri front, Pagliuca praised the appointment of Paolo Maldini as technical director of the Football Federation. “Paolo is a certainty, a serious and determined person who has always done well. As a player he was fantastic, as a manager he won a championship without major investments. He always puts in all the best he can, that’s why I am convinced he will manage to do something good also with the national team and the federation,” he declared.

As for the choice of coach, the former goalkeeper has clear ideas: “Guardiola? If he doesn’t fascinate, who does.” But not only that. Pagliuca also said he would be in favor of a possible return of Roberto Mancini, despite the controversial departure in the summer of 2023. “I would also be fine with ‘Mancio’ or someone like Conte. They would be certainties, just like Pirlo whom I know. The important thing is that a coach comes who knows what he’s doing and these names are all suitable.”

The main problem, according to Pagliuca, remains the lack of talent. “It’s a matter of generations, we always say that we don’t let young players play, but if there were good ones, for me they would play. It’s a generational issue, the same talents as before are no longer born, I hope that in a few years the Italian talent factory will start up again,” he explained. The solution? “To speed up the process, we should let as many young players as possible play, giving them more trust and the chance to make mistakes, not always preferring foreigners who cost less.”

On the league front, with the transfer market still being defined, Pagliuca gave a clear prediction. “The teams are still incomplete, they are almost all like last year, that’s why I still see Inter as favorites with Napoli right behind. Then I believe that Juventus with Spalletti from the start can do well, especially if they are able to add those 2-3 players the coach is missing,” concluded the former National Team goalkeeper.

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