For those that weren’t fully aware of Mattia Caldara on the morning of February 25, they certainly were later that day. The 22 year-old Atalanta centre-back’s near perfect showing at both ends of the pitch against Napoli was one of this season’s greatest individual performances.
If calmly putting away his fourth and fifth goals of the campaign wasn’t enough, then his heroic showing at the other end of the pitch – to keep out one of European club football’s most potent attacking sides – at the Stadio San Paolo, in the midst of a great run of form certainly was.
Not taking into account the freak demolition the Nerazzurri suffered at the hands of Inter, the club has 13 clean sheets and conceded a mere 12 goals in the 20 Serie A matches the Bergamo-born stopper has played in this season. An astonishing statistic considering the player had not even managed an appearance in the top flight until the fifth week of the campaign -another win over Sarri’s men.
It seems symbolic then, that Juventus, ever the good judge of young Italian players, made a move for the cultured defender. Like they did for arguably their greatest ever centre-back, Gaetano Scirea, they purchased the player from Atalanta at a young age, in the hope of moulding him into a future Old Lady and Azzurri great.
Furthermore, it’s not just Caldara’s ability on the pitch that bares similarities to Italy’s world cup winning captain. An avid reader of Russian literature – he is a fan of Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky – he has a calm and modest character which manifests into a down-to-earth, yet determined personality that will allow him to go far and keep his feet on the ground.
Like Scirea, who famously used to remain in his hotel room and watch television whilst his team mates partied, Caldara recently told La Gazzetta hello Sport that he feels his teammate’s PlayStation hobby is a ‘waste of time’, insisting he would much rather educate himself or read.
The likes of Crime and Punishment won’t be the only form of Russian culture the youngster will be hoping to experience within the next 18 months though. With the World Cup in the country edging ever closer, his debut for the national team should come sooner rather than later. As Giampiero Ventura looks to cement his 23 names down, he’ll have a keen eye on the defender.
Barely reaching six feet and weighing under 75kgs, Caldara may not be the perfect physical specimen for his position. It is therefore a credit to the player that he has managed to negate this with his superior intellectual and mechanical assets.
Emblazoned with the No. 13 on his back in respect of his idol Alessandro Nesta, his positioning and springs allow him to win far more aerial duels that he should. Moreover, his impressive awareness across the backline and core strength, coupled with decent pace make him a potential future great.
Caldara though, is just one third of a prosperous trio of future talent ready to take over from the ageing BBC at club and international level. Giuseppe Marotta is well aware of this, having made 22-year-old Daniele Rugani a fully fledged member of the Juventus squad this term. Rugani is considered to be the archetypal graceful defender in which a clean kit equates to a good game.
In his final loan year at Empoli, the, then teenager, managed to play in every minute of the 38 game season without receiving a single booking – a bewildering feat considering the Tuscans were a struggling team for the majority of the campaign. In Juve’s current crop he is most comparable to Barzagli, and it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the youngster displaces his veteran teammate before the season is out.
It is not just Juventus providing the backbone to future Italy line ups. AC Milan’s elegant and gifted left-footer Alessio Romagnoli is the final piece in a future back line that will provide the versatility and balance needed to accommodate various formations.
Transferred to the Rossoneri for €25 million in 2015, the 22 year-old didn’t look entirely comfortable in his new surroundings during his first season. Understandable considering the instability on and off the pitch at the San Siro. However, under the guidance of Vincenzo Montella, he has looked every bit the ball-playing defensive stalwart the club assumed they were acquiring.
As with Caldara, Romagnoli has the No. 13 as well in tribute to Nesta, and his long hair elegantly flowing as he glides nonchalantly along the pitch, he has also drawn instant similarities with his fellow Roman. Equally, his left-foot ability and determined attitude makes him a slightly less dynamic, something of a more cultured Giorgio Chiellini.
Backed up by a goalkeeper five years his junior in Gianluigi Donnarumma, and not having a consistent partner alongside him, Romagnoli has quickly become the defensive spearhead of an emerging Milan side. The fact that he taken on this responsibility, while at the same time managed to improve his own personal game is a testament to the character and resolve of the player.
At the very top level, mental ability is just as important as its technical counterpart, and Romagnoli has steadily proved to all is doubters that he possesses an abundance of both.
Calcio is a byword for good defending and as long as the Azzurri can keep it tight at one end, which they normally do, then they are always in with a chance at the other. And while the often misunderstood Catenaccio is now all but non-existent, one thing that has remained is the continued production of top class centre-backs on a peninsula where defending is considered an art form.
The new generation not only possess technical ability but also genuine defensive prowess- a characteristic increasingly becoming a rarity in the modern game. They say defences win championships and if that’s the case then Rome’s Circus Maximus will be a wash of celebrative blue in the coming years, with the three 22-year-old defenders most likely up on the stage lifting the trophy.
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com