Saddened Italy fast to seek out future

ITALY’S national soccer team needs an injection of youth to recover from its failure to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades.

Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, defender Andrea Barzagli and midfielder Daniele De Rossi — the three holdovers from the squad that won the World Cup in 2006 — announced they were retiring from the national team in the aftermath of a 1-0 aggregate loss to Sweden in a playoff.

Defender Giorgio Chiellini is also considering retirement.

Italy coach Gian Piero Ventura is sure to go, and there are also calls for soccer federation president Carlo Tavecchio to step down. So who is left for the Azzurri?

The easiest answer comes in goal, where AC Milan’s Gianluigi Donnarumma, 18, is set to replace Buffon.

In defence, Leonardo Bonucci could be the only holdover from the “BBC” trio with Barzagli and Chiellini. Younger defenders on the horizon include Daniele Rugani, Alessio Romagnoli and Mattia Caldara.

There is hope in midfield, too. Though Marco Verratti still has not put in a solid performance as he tries to replace Andrea Pirlo, much will be expected of the Paris Saint-Germain player. Then there is Brazilian-born Jorginho, who was given his first competitive action for Italy against Sweden and showed he can be an option.