Juventus loanee Nicolò Fagioli has claimed that young players in Italy do not get a fair chance to prove their worth.
The 21 year-old is currently enjoying his time on loan with Serie B side Cremonese, where he has nine goal contributions from his 27 league outings so far this term.
The midfielder made his debut for the Old Lady last season when starting in the Coppa Italia clash with SPAL, with his Serie A debut coming from the bench in the weeks later.
Andrea Pirlo was then let go as boss and replaced by Max Allegri, and all the talk of Fagioli’s huge promise became silent before the midfielder was sent out on loan in the lower division.
He may not have been completely happy with being so close to getting his chance however, with his comments on younger players’ limited opportunities in the top division.
“I see that in Spain, perhaps not so much in England, but in Germany and France too, more youngsters get to play than in Italy,” said Fagioli in a press conference while on Under-21 international duty (via Football.Italia).
“I can say that when it comes to Italy, a young player might get a chance, makes a mistake in one or two games, he is criticised, people say he’s not ready and then he is sent out for experience at a lower level, so it’s difficult for a coach to pick someone consistently.
“We can feel it and see that’s what is happening, that Italian clubs don’t tend to put their faith in young players. We hope things will change with time.”
Whether Fagioli’s comments come due to his own experience or not, the fact of the matter is that only three teenagers are playing regularly in Serie a this term, a number much lower than the rest of the major leagues in Europe.
The 21 year-old seems to blame either the fans or the journalists for criticism which affects the opportunities of younger players, but you could maybe argue that managers and the use of older players could also play a major part in it.
Why do you think less young players get the opportunities in Italy compared to in other top divisions?
Patrick
