If there is one thing Juventus pride themselves on, it’s the fact that the Bianconeri often form the backbone of the Italian national team.
From the World Cup teams of the 1930s to the squad that reached the final of Euro 2012, more often than not there has been a sizable Juventus contingent.
It’s a stick that is often used to beat rivals Inter Milan who have often failed to field Italian players over the last decade.
Indeed only one of the 14 players that took to the field for the 2010 Champions League final was eligible for Italy.
That was the controversial Marco Materazzi – a dear friend of Zinedine Zidane’s head - who only took to the field in injury time, almost as a parting gift from Jose Mourinho.
There were two unused Italian substitutes that night. One was ex-Italy goalkeeper Francesco Toldo who was over the hill at 38 and Mario Balotelli.
Balotelli is an interesting case. Long gone from the club, the Italy striker is one of the few Inter academy graduates who managed to make it all the way to the first team.
Yet there even has to be an asterisk around Balotelli’s name because he only joined the club aged 16 after being purchased from lower division side Lumezzane.
Apart from Super Mario, his close friend Davide Santon of Newcastle United is one of the few players to have also gone from Inter academy prospect to the senior side. But due to knee injuries, loan spells and competition, the Nerazurri eventually cut him loose like they have done to other graduates and fellow Italy caps from the youth team like Mattia Destro and Leonardo Bonucci who currently play for Serie A rivals Roma and Juventus respectively.
Italy international Leonardo Bonucci made four senior appearances for Inter
Yet it’s not like Inter Milan’s academy is unproductive. The club won the first ever NextGen Series (a sort of U19 Champions League) in 2011/12, triumphed in the prestigious Torneo di Viareggio in 2008 and 2011, and won the Campionato Nazionale Primavera in 2007/08 and 2011/12 which is an Italian competition for Serie A and Serie B youth teams.
So there is talent in Inter’s youth ranks and it was recognised in one way by the club’s hierarchy. Inter’s manager last season was Andrea Stramaccioni who led the Nerazzuri to the NextGen title and began the successful Primavera campaign before being promoted to replace current Monaco boss Claudio Ranieri.
While Stramaccioni got a promotion that lasted little over a year, the same cannot be said of the Inter youth players he led to success (more on that later).
The fact that Inter academy graduates rarely get the opportunity to make an impact on the senior team is something new club owner Erick Thohir has touched on recently.
On Off The Ball, we spoke to James Horncastle about the Indonesian businessman’s intentions for the club in terms of building a new stadium and increasing commercial revenue. But after visiting the Centro Sportivo Giacinto Facchetti training facility last week, Thohir stated that Inter have one of the best youth academies in Europe but that he wants to turn it into one of the best in the world.
Materazzi (right in the white t-shirt) was the only Italian to take to the field in the 2010 Champions League final
Hinting that he would like to see more academy graduates making a mark, he also told Sky Italia: "We can have superstars but we can't have all superstars. With a combination of superstars and young players you can always have a good team. I think all successful teams start with talented young players, it's always a combination."
For a big club like Inter Milan who are currently swimming in the choppy seas outside the Champions League places, it is vital to not only have a thriving youth sector, but also to nurture the most promising graduates all the way to the first team.
Currently Internazionale’s squad has just three Italians in its ranks and only one of those – defender Marco Andreolli – came through the academy. And even he only returned to Inter this summer after a six year exile at Roma, Vicenza, Sassuolo and Chievo.
And where are Inter’s stars from the 2011/12 NextGen series?
Top scorer Samuele Longo has spent the last 18 months on loan and is currently at Serie A side Hellas Verona where he has mostly been an unused substitute and experienced just three minutes of top flight action.
Samuele Longo
Meanwhile, 20-year-old midfielder Lorenzo Crisetig was the youngest player to ever play for Italy U21s but has also spent the last two seasons on loan at Serie B clubs, although he has got significantly more game time than Longo.
Indeed, most of the team that won the NextGen Series and other youth tournaments have been sold or are currently on loan.
Of course, one must admit that promising youngsters do not always turn out to be reliable players in the future but at the same time they do deserve a chance to make their mark at the club which invested in their developmemt.
Crisetig and Longo do have time on their side but one would fear that without a change of policy at the club, they will be yet another generation of Interisti to be let go.
Main image: Mario Balotelli and Davide Santon who both left Inter for the Premier League
