Former Roma Primavera coach Federico Guidi has discussed Emanuele Lulli’s remarkable development and revealed that the young wing-back was not always considered an automatic starter within the club’s academy.
Lulli has emerged as one of Roma’s biggest revelations under Gian Piero Gasperini, earning regular first-team opportunities after making the jump from the Primavera squad.
Speaking to Tuttomercatoweb, Guidi admitted that the speed of the 20-year-old’s breakthrough was difficult to anticipate.
“His introduction to Serie A was difficult to predict, despite the considerable step forward he made last season,” Guidi said.
“Until the Under-17 level, Emanuele was never considered a starter among Roma’s 2006 and 2007 age groups. He began to establish himself last year and has undergone significant development.”
Gasperini monitored Lulli for an entire year
Guidi believes Lulli’s exceptional athletic qualities immediately caught Gasperini’s attention.
“Gasperini saw qualities in him from last season, particularly from a physical perspective,” he continued. “His speed and endurance are at an extremely high level, allowing him to compensate for the defensive side of his game, where he still has room to improve.
“Gasperini monitored him for a year because he is someone who does not look at a player’s age—he looks at what you do on the pitch. Lulli has been excellent at making sure he was ready when his opportunity arrived.”
The former Primavera coach also believes Lulli’s performances can no longer be ignored by Italy’s national-team setup.
“Until last season, he had never been called up by Italy’s youth teams. His first call came from Alberto Bollini with the Under-19s, but he did not make the squad for the European Championship.
“He is developing tremendously, and now the national teams can no longer close their eyes to his growth—whether that is Mancini’s senior side or Baldini’s Under-21 team.”
Guidi compares Lulli to Palestra and Bellanova
Guidi identified Marco Palestra and Raoul Bellanova as two players with characteristics similar to those of Roma’s number 77.
“The Palestra comparison is appropriate because they both have endurance, speed and strength as their best qualities,” he explained.
“Palestra perhaps has more technical quality because he can use both feet. Emanuele still needs to improve with his left foot, but I am certain that he will. Another player Lulli can resemble is Bellanova.”
Guidi praises former Roma midfielder Alessandro Romano
Guidi also discussed Alessandro Romano, who left Roma for Cagliari and has since made his Serie A debut.
“He played two years above his age group under me in a midfield with Pisilli and Pagano, who are both doing very well,” Guidi said.
“Romano was the playmaker because he sees football differently. He also possesses an attitude towards work that is extremely difficult to find among young players today.
“His objective has always been to become a professional footballer, and he pursued it with tremendous dedication. He was outperforming the Primavera level, and that competition had become too restrictive for him. That is why we sent him to Spezia, where he showed great potential.
“It was right for Italy to invest in him and prevent him from representing Switzerland, where he was born. The federation had already monitored him at Under-19 level, but at the time he preferred to continue with Switzerland. Now it is difficult to reject a potential Italy call-up. I am certain he will also perform extremely well in the Azzurri shirt.”
Guidi concluded by addressing his own future after leaving Roma.
“My departure from Roma came completely unexpectedly,” he said. “I am continuing to study and watch many training sessions conducted by coaches abroad while waiting for a serious project.
“I have received offers from Serie C and overseas, but none satisfied me. I would like to return to senior football, but everything depends on the opportunities, and I am not ruling anything out.”
Source: Tuttomercatoweb
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