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Approaching the year 2005, let's take a look at the young and talented players who have shone and demonstrated good gameplay this year, and who could potentially shine even brighter and become true stars in the future.
When Marcello Lippi became the head coach of the Italian national team in the summer of 2004, he immediately stated that the players who had just won the European U-21 football championship in Germany should soon receive invitations to represent their country in the national team. However, no one expected it to happen so quickly...
"Parma" duo
To be honest, three of these players (Daniele Bonera, Alberto Gilardino, and Daniele De Rossi) are already solid starters in the Squadra Azzura. Despite their young age, Bonera (23 years old) and Gilardino (22 years old) are already highly regarded and sought after by wealthy club scouts for their mature play. Defender Daniele Bonera, since his debut in the Italian top division in 2000 with Brescia, has been considered one of the most talented Italian players, and he uses his talent excellently, becoming a defensive wall that is hard to beat even for the best forwards in the world. Meanwhile, Alberto Gilardino becomes a more dangerous striker every year, scoring 23 goals for his club last year. Therefore, it was no surprise when this young striker became one of the leaders of the Italian national team's attacks.
Rising star De Rossi
Probably the best and least expected news Marcello Lippi received was due to the excellent play of midfielder Daniele De Rossi. Born in 1983 and having spent his still short career with Roma, De Rossi is already forming a key midfield duo at the capital club with Francesco Totti, compensating for the loss of Emerson. Marcello Lippi's trust in the young midfielder paid off, as he scored two goals in three matches for the Italian national team, showing that he had not forgotten the skills he acquired playing as a forward.
Fighter Blasi
Looking at future prospects, Blasi should form a great defensive partnership with the aforementioned Daniele De Rossi. This 24-year-old player is finally starting to show great potential to play for a club like Juventus. He has already displaced experienced Alessio Tacchinardi from the club's main lineup and could soon do the same with the Squadra Azzura team.
Chiellini's opportunity
Another young player who has already caught Marcello Lippi's attention is Giorgio Chiellini, the left-back of Fiorentina. The rights to this player belong to Juventus, and it is hoped that this 20-year-old player will return to the Delle Alpi stadium next summer. Strong, fast, and highly technical, Chiellini has already debuted in the national team in matches against Finland. It is believed that in the future, Lippi may move Gianluca Zambrotta to a more attacking position and find a place for the young Chiellini in the national team.
Sicilian defense
The future looks bright for Palermo defender Cristian Zaccardo. The 22-year-old player can play in all defensive positions, but his talent truly shines when playing on the right side. Zaccardo has already made his debut for the national team in matches against Finland.
"Atalanta" talents
"Atalanta" club is known for having the best youth training school in Italy. Among the current graduates of this club, the most highly valued are 19-year-old attacking midfielder Riccardo Montolivo, 20-year-old physically powerful Gianpaolo Pazzini, and versatile 20-year-old defender Andrea Lazzari.
Bulgarian prodigy
Not only young Italians attract scouts' attention in Italy, there are also many young foreign stars playing in Serie A, already playing key roles in their clubs. The brightest of them is Valeri Bojinov, an 18-year-old striker who has already become one of the most threatening goal-scoring machines in the league. Coming to Lecce at just 13 years old, Bojinov is like a copy of Wayne Rooney: extremely talented, excellent with both feet, physically strong, and most importantly, with a natural "nose" for scoring goals.
The new Zidane
Tw years older than Bojinov, Udinese's playmaker Sulley Muntari is considered as the successor to Zinedine Zidane. This Frenchman is undoubtedly one of the most technical players in Serie A and continues to improve.
