Alessandro Moggi, the agent of Lazio star Ciro Immobile, was not impressed with the criticisms laid against the striker at Euro 2020 this summer.
Speaking in an interview with Italian radio broadcaster Radio Radio (via La Lazio Siamo Noi) earlier today, the agent did not think it was fair how much negative press the 31-year-old Italian striker was getting.
He is totally focused on the European Championship, it is a very important moment for his career, for the whole national team and the players who are part of this group. So, it is absolutely a positive moment. As for other things, I’d say that the criticism is totally unfair.
Immobile has shown in recent years, numbers in hand, that he is the greatest Italian striker. As Mancini said the other day, he’s still the Golden Boot winner, as the next one hasn’t been awarded yet, and to question a striker like him is for those who don’t understand football in my opinion.
He did not think it was fair that Immobile was still receiving criticism for his goal-scoring ability despite what he has shown in recent years.
I hear many times the names of strikers from the past who have scored, if all goes well, one fifth of the goals scored by Ciro and I find it sickening.
Ciro Immobile doesn’t need to prove anything anymore, he has already proven himself throughout his career and is objectively at the top of all Italian players in the role in recent years.
I get angry because if Immobile scores two goals a game everything is fine and nobody praises him, while if for any reason he can’t score he becomes the problem of the Italian national team because this is what we have been reading for years.
And when I read journalists who bring up strikers who have scored 30-40 goals in their careers and who are brought up as if they were the ones who would improve Italy’s performance, I think there is someone who is not in good faith when they write and so I get a bit worked up about it.
Finally, Moggi further discussed Immobile’s performances at Euro 2020 this summer and how he is crucial, even if he doesn’t manage to find the back of the net.
Even the data of the team’s performances, including those of the last game, show that Ciro Immobile’s commitment, which means chasing the opponent and going to war everywhere on the pitch, proves that his performances are excellent.
Then Italy is made up of 60 million technical coaches, everyone expresses their thoughts and expects a goal from a striker, but you can’t score all the time.
You have to evaluate the performance of a striker at certain times and we all saw that Italy suffered against Spain, then brought the result home with great determination and character of all, including Ciro.
The 31-year-old Immobile has started all but one game in Euro 2020 so far, only being benched for the final group game against Wales. In that time, he has scored two goals and provided one assist, but has been criticised for not being decisive enough for the Azzurri.
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