Europeans, National: Locatelli: “Italy, a fantastic group”

by our correspondent Stefano Cantalupi

June 16
– Roma

Press, launch, insert, kick from outside, finalize. Pogba? Kroos? Wrong: Manuel Locatelli, tonight more than ever. Standing ovation (also from the bench) and a state of absolute grace for the Sassuolo midfielder, jewel of the market that has just opened and above all blue treasure: the two goals that have struck Switzerland send him to bed at the top of the scorers’ ranking. European, together with Ronaldo, Lukaku and Schick. People who do another job. Double for Italy in the final phase of a great international tournament without being a striker: stuff for predestined, or at least for men capable of moving the bar of their limit always a little higher.

CHARACTER

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There are two Locatelli in the history of the national team. Ugo, also a midfielder, who wore the blue between the two wars. And then Manuel, who probably wouldn’t have played the European Championship if he had really played in 2020. Manuel, who here was supposed to be Verratti’s reserve, or at least the first change of the three tenors in the middle of the field. The pandemic and the injury of the PSG director have reshuffled the cards and Locatelli has drawn a couple of jokers, showing on the field that he deserves them in a big way. After all, he never lacked personality, not even when the swing of football, after having thrown him high with that super-goal at Juve in 2016, had made him aware of the bitterness of being sacrificed by Milan for budgetary reasons. . Go away, he left. He rolled up his sleeves at Sassuolo, found in De Zerbi the perfect guide to improve understanding of the game and now here we are, all standing to applaud his number 5 shirt that catapults us to the second round of Euro2020 with a round of matches. advance.

TWO PEARLS

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The baptism of the goal in the national team had already had it in March, hitting the target in Bulgaria in the World Cup qualifiers. At the Olimpico, however, tonight he took a leap into another dimension. The goal that unlocked the match was fantastic: an illuminating opening for Berardi – another brilliant star of Sassuolo – and a vertical cut in the area to place the ball behind Sommer. And since the shot from outside is also part of his technical background, he signed the 2-0 like this, with a low shot from the edge that punished the inattention of the Swiss defense.

NEXT AND FRONT FUTURE

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And now what will happen for the happiest 23 year old in Lecco? What will the future hold for him? The first to determine it will be Roberto Mancini, who with the recovery of Verratti will have a fair problem of choice and abundance when the ball at the European Championship will be hotter. Then there will be the market. Manuel has already demonstrated to the CEO Carnevali intends to leave Sassuolo to return to a big one, the neroverdi will monetize the sale as much as possible, as it is right and inevitable that it is. That Juve likes Locatelli is not a mystery, but the 40 million we were talking about before the European Championship are likely to be no longer enough. Not even for Arsenal and the other top European teams interested. There will be time to talk about it: tonight only blue thoughts.

humble

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But Manuel, elected Man of the Match of the match, remains low profile: “I want to share this award with my teammates. I thank them. I am now immovable? No, I don’t think so. I hope Marco Verratti can return, he is a champion who can make a difference. We are a fantastic group, I want to stay with my feet on the ground and enjoy the European Championship. The first goal was beautiful, on an assist from Berardi, I dedicate it to my family and my girlfriend. the Italians, we hope to give other emotions “.