Baldini: Italian youngsters capable of more, but future is bright

Interim Italy boss Silvio Baldini believes the future is bright for the Azzurri and is confident that the nation’s emerging talents are capable of delivering much better moving forward.

Baldini’s first game in charge of Italy saw him give 15 players their debut in a 1-0 win over Luxembourg in a friendly, with Francesco Pio Esposito scoring the only goal.

With an average age of 21 years and 354 days, it was the youngest Italian line-up since December 1912 against Austria (21y 308d) when Umberto Meazza was in charge. 

Inter striker Esposito now has four goals in eight matches for Italy. He is only the third player to net more than three times for his country before turning 21, after Giuseppe Meazza (11) and Gianni Rivera (five).

Baldini was promoted from Italy’s Under-21’s side to take the role on an interim basis, after Gennaro Gattuso’s resignation following their failure to reach the World Cup. 

And though Baldini acknowledged the risks that came with naming eight debutants in his starting line-up, he felt his young players held up well at Stade de Luxembourg. 

“I knew these lads had quality, but also that there were dangers, as many of them were debutants,” Baldini told RAI Sport.

“There were many Italians here showing us how much they love the Nazionale. Nothing can ever be taken for granted, but I felt that it would go our way.

“The team created some moves in attack, but is capable of much better.

“There are some mechanisms that can come naturally, but in the first half many of the movements weren’t being made, so it was tough to get into scoring positions.”

21 & 354 – L’Italia schiera una formazione titolare con un’età media di 21 anni e 354 giorni: è la più giovane per gli Azzurri in un match a partire dal 22/12/1912 (21 anni e 308 giorni contro l’Austria in amichevole, con allenatore Umberto Meazza). Gioventù.#LussemburgoItalia https://t.co/JtC45YLwFk

— OptaPaolo (@OptaPaolo) June 3, 2026

Italy could have scored more and made it a more comfortable outing, with Niccolo Pisilli squandering a big chance in the second half when he struck the woodwork. 

Baldini’s side finished with an expected goals (xG) total of 2.1 from their 15 shots, though only three were on target, to Luxembourg’s 0.38 from their nine attempts. 

The Azzurri are still on the lookout for a permanent head coach after Gattuso’s departure, with Italy last playing at the World Cup in 2014. 

Antonio Conte, who managed Italy from 2014 to 2016, is among the frontrunners to land the role, though Baldini revelled in his moment on the touchline for his country. 

“To be honest, I am a bit strange anyway, but when there are games, I rarely feel that emotional. I mainly feel the worry of not being useful to these lads,” Baldini added. 

“A coach mustn’t make the difference when moving a player there or here, but in telling him what he needs to hear at that moment.

“If you say the wrong thing, you can do damage, throw a cog out of sync in the machine, so I worry about being of use.”

Baldini will take charge of at least one more match this Sunday when Italy face Greece before their Nations League campaign begins at the end of September.