As Italy and Ivory Coast face off in an international friendly at Upton Park on Tuesday, wantaway Inter Milan starlet Mario Balotelli is set for his Italy senior debut as new coach Cesare Prandelli looks to rebuild the Azzurri after a disastrous World Cup defence this summer.
The 19-year-old is set to start at West Ham’s ground in partnership with Juventus’ Amauri and Sampdoria’s enigmatic playmaker Antonio Cassano, who will be celebrating a recall after having fallen into depression last season upon realising his international future was over under former manager Marcello Lippi.
But Prandelli has decided on a fresh start and a new look Azzurri with the call-ups of Balotelli, Cassano and several other new faces, keeping to his promise that he would inject a more youthful vigour into what was generally recognised to be an aging and over the hill squad under Lippi.
“The idea of starting with Balotelli is that I want to use all the attacking potential at my disposal,” said Prandelli.
The former Fiorentina boss also let the players choose their own shirt number for the match in a move he hopes would help the players bond together. The Ghanaian-born Balotelli selected the number 9 shirt.
Meanwhile, Prandelli will also be keeping his fingers crossed that the equally temperamental Cassano can keep his emotions under check and reproduce his club form at international level – something which he has failed to do consistently in the past – leading to several previous managers unwilling to risk a place in the squad for someone they felt could not deliver regularly enough.
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