Italy Under-21 coach Silvio Baldini has praised Emanuele Lulli’s rapid development, although the Roma youngster will not start the friendly against France in Laval.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Baldini revealed his starting XI before discussing how quickly Lulli has settled into the international setup.
“He has always been monitored. I didn’t expect him to break through so quickly,” Baldini said. “He joined us for the first time during the last international break, but it feels as though he has always been here.”
Lulli’s progress under Gian Piero Gasperini has therefore also made an impression on his Under-21 coach. His omission from the starting lineup comes with Baldini weighing how to manage two fixtures in quick succession.
“They have all trained well. We will face two games very close together, with little time to recover. We’ll see whether we need to make lots of substitutions or use two different groups.”
Baldini named Palmisani, Mane, Comuzzo, Chiarodia, Bartesaghi, Amatucci, Lipani, Dagasso, Cacciamani, Fini and Camarda as his starters against France.
The coach also spoke warmly about the atmosphere within the squad.
“It’s like coming together as a family,” he said. “The boys know how to distinguish professionalism and work from having fun. On the pitch, they do things properly; at the table, there is happiness: they joke and smile.”
“They make me feel useful. I’m not just explaining formations, but also giving them ideas to become better people and players. That gives me great satisfaction.”
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