Italian coach looks at youth

– New Italian coach Giampiero Ventura (above) said this week that he wanted to build on the foundations laid by his predecessor Antonio Conte by adding more youth to the squad.

An ageing Italian outfit impressed in Euro 2016, where they chalked up excellent wins over Belgium and Spain, only to be beaten in the quarterfinals by Germany after a marathon penalty shoot-out. Eight of the players who started the match against Germany last month are now aged 29 or over, with 38-year-old goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon indicating he is likely to retire after the 2018 World Cup.

“In two years we would like to have a group of players aged 21 to 23,” former Torino coach Ventura said ahead of Italy’s friendly against France in Bari next week.

“We have a lot of young talent. They need to play and develop in their clubs. They also need to be encouraged. As soon as a youngster plays badly here he’s massacred.”

Conte left to take charge of English Premier League side Chelsea after the Euros. – AFP