Italy held 1-1 by Ukraine
Genoa bridge victims remembered on emotional night for Mancini
GENOA, Oct 11, (AFP): Ruslan Malinovskiy cancelled out Federico Bernardeschi’s second half strike as Italy were held 1-1 by Ukraine in an international friendly in Genoa on Wednesday during which the victims of the bridge collapse in the city were remembered.
Bernardeschi’s low strike beat Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov after 55 minutes, but seven minutes later Malinovskiy volleyed in for the visitors.
Italy coach Roberto Mancini spent most of his playing career in Genoa, at Sampdoria, and the friendly at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was organized to raise money for those affected by the collapse of the Morandi bridge on Aug 14.
Mancini, 53, was the most capped player in Sampdoria’s history and also the Genoa club’s top scorer winning a Serie A, four Italian Cup and a European Cup Winners Cup with the club.
Play was halted at the 43rd minute to remember the 43 people who died in last August’s bridge disaster, with the words “Genova nel cuore” (Genoa in the heart) flashing up on the stadium’s big screens with players and supporters carrying out a minute’s applause for the victims. Italy’s Leonardo Bonucci and Ukraine’s Yevhen Konoplyanka (right), go for the ball during the international friendly
soccer match between Italy and Ukraine, at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium in Genoa, Italy on Oct 10. (AP) even younger in his search for the midfield maestro he believes England have lacked since the days of Paul Gascoigne.
Jadon Sancho, 18, and Mason Mount, 19, who made moves to get more first team football, and James Maddison, who jumped to the Premier League, are all rewarded with a first call-up. Sancho has lit up the Bundesliga since making the brave decision to turn down Pep Guardiola’s pleas to keep him at Manchester City and join Borussia Dortmund last year.
Compared to Neymar by his former England under-16 coach Dan Micciche, Sancho has more assists than any player in Europe’s top five leagues with nine this season, including one in the Champions League.
“I believe in myself, so moving to Germany didn’t faze me,” said Sancho as he faced the media glare for the first time in an England shirt.
“I’m a bit tricky, direct, confident obviously. I believe in myself in one versus one situations.”
Maddison and Mount aren’t yet playing at that level, but they too have shunned the glamour of the top six sides in the Premier League to ensure more minutes on the field.
England midfielder Jadon Sancho speaks during a press conference following an England training at St George’s Park in Burton-on-Trent, central England on Oct 9 ahead of their UEFA Nations League match
against Croatia on Oct 12. (AFP)
Wanted by Liverpool as a teenager, Maddison instead moved to Norwich before joining Leicester this summer to join two members of the World Cup squad, Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy.
“I looked at the Leicester squad and saw Harry and Jamie as regulars in the England set up. I thought that is where I want to be, that is where I want to get to,” said Maddison, who has scored three goals and provided two assists in eight Premier League appearances.
Mount is still a Chelsea player, but after scoring 13 goals on loan at Vitesse Arnhem last season, is enjoying another fruitful loan spell with Derby under former England and Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard. “He can be top, top level because he’s 19 and plays with ability and quality. Technically he’s brilliant,” said Lampard.
Mount has already shown his ability in an England shirt as he was named player of the tournament in winning the 2017 Under-19 European Championships.
Sancho got the same award at the European Under-17 championships last year, as well as being part of the squad that won the Under-17 World Cup, although his participation was limited after being recalled by Dortmund halfway through the tournament to play for the first team.