Roberto Mancini looked ahead to Italy’s Nations League clashes with England and Hungary and he commented on the lack of top Italian forwards in Serie A.
The Azzurri are hoping to avoid suffering relegation from their Nations League group and they need to pick up strong results in their two games to avoid this fate. Italy currently sit third in League A Group 3 with five points, three above bottom place England and two behind leaders Hungary.
Speaking in a press conference (via La Lazio Siamo Noi), Mancini first discussed the importance of the upcoming Nations League games.
The result will be important, this is a group where anything can still happen. We have to try to win both games to try to finish first.
He then highlighted the number of foreign forwards plying their trade in Serie A, drawing attention to Lazio star Ciro Immobile as the only Italian representative in the top teams.
It’s certainly strange, unfortunately the top teams have had so many foreign forwards for a while now. The only one who’s been there for a while is Immobile.
Let’s hope it’s not an irreversible process and that two or three strikers who can give the national team a future will soon appear. It’s not a minor problem.
Whilst Immobile has been a decisive and dangerous forward in Rome, scoring 187 goals in 268 appearances, he’s struggled to replicate this form with the Azzurri, only netting 15 goals in 55 caps. The Lazio star’s last goal for Italy came in their Euro 2020 group game against Switzerland.
