Capello names two Italy players he’s excited to watch and two who need to step up

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 20: Fabio Capello attends the Sporting Mixed Zone ahead of Laureus World Sports Awards Madrid 2025 at Palacio De Cibeles on April 20, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images for Laureus)

Fabio Capello believes that Pio Esposito is already a leader by example in the Italy national team squad, says that he is excited to watch Milan’s Alphadjo Cisse when he is given the chance, and has urged midfielder Nicolo Barella and Sandro Tonali to step us as two of the experienced members of Roberto Mancini’s squad. 

The Italy national team will be in Nations League action against France in San Siro at 19.45 GMT on Thursday evening. The two nations played out a 1-1 draw when they met in Paris last month. 

As things stand, France lead the Nations League group on 10 points after four matches, Italy are in second on seven points, Belgium in third on six points and Turkey in last on zero. 

Capello gave his pre-match assessment of the Nazionale in a column for La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

Capello previews Italy vs. France: ‘I’m curious to see Cisse’

Italy are only four games into Mancini’s second spell as national team head coach, but Capello feels that there have already been encouraging signs. 

“While waiting for the Italy-France game tonight, I’m still thinking about the great game the Azzurri played in France, with great personality,” Capello wrote in his Gazzetta dello Sport column.

“From there, I’ve enjoyed our national team a lot and I expect to see a team with the same personality, playing aggressive football in San Siro.

“More than anything, I noticed that there was pride for the shirt, determination to win every ball. There was a willingness to suffer when required and a willingness to help every teammate. Finally, it looked like a glimpse of that team spirit we had been missing.” 

It’s fair to say that Italy and France have been on different trajectories since their 2006 World Cup final in Berlin. 

“We’re talking about Italy vs. France, which is always special. As we’ve lost our way in recent years, they’ve had some excellent results. 20 years have gone since the 2006 World Cup final and they have lost very few games since then,” Capello wrote. 

“For the Azzurri, it will be essential for them to have the ‘can do’ attitude this evening, for them to give everything they can to help each other. That’s one of the most important things, whatever sport we’re talking about.”

Mancini has cut six players from the squad that he named for the November international break in order to comply with the 23-man squad limit for Nations League matches.

Cisse, Mattia Liberali, Federico Gatti, Honest Ahanor, Matteo Palma and Niccolo Pisilli have not made the cut. Still, there could still be opportunities for several youngsters including the likes of Esposito, Marco Palestra, Michael Kayode, Alessandro Romano, Issa Doumbia, Antonio Vergara or Luca Koleosho.

“We expect to see a national team with a few young players, so those more experienced ones will have to show that they’ve been at these levels for longer, and why they deserve that status,” Capello wrote. 

“If I think about Pio Esposito, I’m thinking about a player who has already imposed himself, who is already accepted by the whole set-up and has already convinced. He doesn’t yet have the experience to offer the team, but he can set an example for everyone else by fighting, sacrificing, working hard and playing with personality. Either you have that, or life becomes difficult. 

“Whether it’s in this game or the next, I’m curious to see Cisse. I agree with what Baldini said: It is a guarantee that he will express himself. I liked Cisse immediately because he offers something different, something more. And if I criticised him for passing backwards recently, it’s because he needs that personality, desire, courage to play, to always go forwards. 

“What impresses me the most about him is his ability to hit the ball first time and always stick it in, he’s always well co-ordinated.”

Capello feels that now is the time for Tonali and Barella to step up and prove themselves as leaders. 

“I expect a lot from the midfielders, as always from Barella and Tonali downwards. I believe that the two of them have to give something more because they’re the ones who have the most experience and I’m always convinced that it is the midfield that makes the team tick. 

“We will have to go well, because we’re up against a very strong team with very few weaknesses. They have quality, speed and aggressiveness, they have it all. 

“Then there’s the coach, Zinedine Zidane, who gave us great memories as a footballer here in Italy with Juventus and wants to show that he knows his stuff as a coach as well, as he’s already shown with Real Madrid.

“It was already noticeable in the first few games, when he got frustrated after a poor goal-kick for example, quite how much he cares. It shows that after being an extraordinary footballer, he feels this commitment with the national team even more.”