Francesco Graziani This is how Italy’s elimination against Switzerland in the Round of 16 of the European Championship reads: “The next day it hurts less, you become aware of it, you take note of it. The disappointment is strong, I didn’t expect it. In football you can lose, but here there was a real football lesson and that can’t help but hurt.”
After the unjustified accusations of Gabriele Gravina, the former striker also names Lecce Primavera as Italian Champions 22/23, speaking about the too many foreigners: “The problem is that 80% of Serie A players are foreigners. That’s too many. Italians are only 20% and if we don’t give strength to our movement, to our youth sectors and to our trainers it’s a problem, we won’t go anywhere. Many of our boys get lost. Even in the second teams there are 6-7 foreigners. Two years ago Lecce won the Primavera championship with 11 foreigners on the pitch…”.
Graziani is skeptical about the little space for young Italians who have already won with the Under 17 and 19 teams: “We have won a lot at youth level, but how many of the guys who have won with the Under 19s are playing in Serie A? At 19-20 years old you are already a football player”.
