Article by Daniel Scorpie – Published on Wednesday, 01 April 2026, 21:46 / Updated on Wednesday, 01 April 2026 21:51
The Italian press does not hold back in clamoring for the fundamental change of the national team after another bankruptcy in the play-off for World Cup qualification. “It will be a revolution. Young and necessary. Because, having reached the bottom of the abyss for the third time, it turns out that we have learned absolutely nothing from the first two failures and we have to start all over again,” writes Corriere dello Sport.
The quoted daily claims that the reconstruction must start “from the children, from the youth, from those who can at least count on hope for the future, let's try to immediately turn the page after another failure of our football. The next national team, which will start in the League of Nations in the autumn, will have to be different from this one.
Corriere della Sera points the finger at who should be the starting point for the new era of the Squadra Azzurra: “Leave aside the 30-year-olds like Politano, Spinazzola and Cristante! We have to give full credit to Generation Z, the youngsters born from the mid-90s onwards.
The youngest is Pio Esposito, born in 2005, who will have time to recover after the disappointment in Zenica. When Cannavaro lifted the World Cup in Germany in 2006, Pio had just turned one. He has already become a key player for Inter, especially in recent weeks when starter Lautaro Martinez has been injured.
Gianluigi Donnarumma has 81 caps for the Italian national team / Photo: Imago
“The new Italian national team must be rebuilt on a backbone with Donnarumma, Calafiori, Tonali and Pio Esposito”
Adopted by the Nerazzurri dressing room, Esposito is already an idol at San Siro – Meazza. And it can become equally important for our future national team. “A mature boy”, as described by the former striker Altobelli, who has already made his place under Gattuso's management”.
Corriere della Sera continued the analysis of the new project of the national team of the future, what they must qualify at all costs for Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup, having to be built on a backbone with goalkeeper Donnarumma, Calafiori in defence, Tonali in midfield and Pio in attack.
There is no shortage of international experience and prowess, especially for the top three. They played, won and lost, laughed and cried: it will be up to them to lead the rest of the new group out of the tunnel, beyond the fog.
The captain is and will remain Gigio who, even in dark moments like this, has always shown he can wear the blue armband with pride. One of the few certainties, in the midst of chaos”.
