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Continuing the series of articles about the most promising European players, this time we will review the talents of Italy, which caught the attention of the official UEFA website reviewers.
Italian defenders have always had a good reputation, but the country has been waiting for players who could challenge the established stars like Alessandro Nesta or Fabio Cannavaro for a place in the national team.
Recently, new young defenders have emerged, just starting their careers in the "Serie A" and having a bright future ahead of them. None of them play for the strongest clubs yet, but the situation could quickly change if they continue to perform as they have in the first part of the season.
One of the most promising talents without any doubt is the central defender of "Cagliari", Michele Canini, a key player not only in his team but also in the Italy U21 national team, defending their European champions title next summer. Canini, who started his career in the famous "Atalanta" youth team, has everything a modern defender needs - he is physically strong, good in the air, technically sound, and able to position himself successfully.
Another defender who has performed well in the first months of the "Serie A" is Andrea Coda, representing the "Empoli" club, taller than M.Canini and more dominant in the "second level", although not as fast. However, the 20-year-old player has already been linked with top Italian clubs - it is speculated that Turin's "Juventus" could have the opportunity to sign him in the summer.
"I am delighted with the wonderful moments. We have achieved good results with "Empoli", I was called up to the Italy U21 national team. I am not thinking about the future, for now I am focused on helping my team avoid relegation to the lower league," said A. Coda.
While the right-back of the "Udinese" club, Marco Motta, is still trying to adapt to his new team following his move from "Atalanta" last summer, many observers predict a bright future for him. One of them is the legendary Cesare Maldini, who works as a scout for talent at the "Milan" club, and has named the 19-year-old player the new Paolo Maldini. This has brought great joy to Motta, as the "Milan" defender is his ideal.
Another highly-regarded defender is Marco Rossi, playing in the center of the defense for the "Parma" team. The 18-year-old has already made his debut in the "Serie A" and is considered very promising by many. "Parma" also has promising young defenders like 18-year-olds Filippo Savi and Daniele Dessena in their squad, who have already gained fame in Europe following their excellent performances in last season's UEFA Cup.
Speaking of attackers, it is impossible not to mention the 21-year-old Raffaele Palladino, playing in the attacking line of the "Livorno" team alongside one of the best strikers of last season, Cristiano Lucarelli, and scoring his first goal in his debut in the top league matches. R. Palladino, loaned from Turin's "Juventus" club, is gifted with speed, technique, and a knack for scoring goals, and if his performance in the "Serie A" continues to improve, he is likely to wear the jersey of the "Old Lady" in the future.
Another player who has grown up in the "Juventus" youth academy is Andrea Gasbarroni, who is finally starting to fulfill his potential. The 24-year-old former Italy U21 right-back, after a couple of unsuccessful years with the "Palermo" team, has started the season well with Genoa's "Sampdoria". As the team's coach Walter Novellino says, "Gasbarroni is a fantastic player with all the potential to become the best in his position for a long time".
Another attacker who is expected to demonstrate his abilities in 2006 is the "Empoli" team's goal scorer Francesco Tavano. Although he is no longer as young and promising, the 26-year-old player has become one of the discoveries of the season in "Serie A". In 11 league matches, he has already scored eight goals - after such a performance, "Empoli" coach Mario Somma even suggested to Italy's national team coach Marcelo Lippi to closely monitor the attacker and consider including him in the team for the 2006 World Cup final tournament.
