Luciano Spalletti has never been particularly keen on Manuel Locatelli, which has led to the Juventus midfielder being consistently overlooked since Spalletti took charge of the Italian national team. Despite Locatelli’s experience and quality, he has not received a call-up under the current regime, raising questions about his future with the Azzurri.
Locatelli was a key figure for Italy during the early stages of Euro 2020, playing an important role in their eventual triumph. At the time, he was considered one of the country’s brightest midfield prospects, and many believed he would go on to replace Marco Verratti as a mainstay in the national team. However, circumstances have changed significantly since then.
Following Italy’s Euro 2020 victory, Roberto Mancini continued to include Locatelli in his squads, but when Mancini left his role as Italy’s manager, Locatelli’s international career stalled. Since taking over, Spalletti has opted for other midfielders, whom he seemingly believes are better suited to his tactical approach. As a result, Locatelli has had to work even harder at Juventus in the hope of earning a recall, though his performances for the Bianconeri have not been enough to convince the Italy boss.
Italy’s performances in the recent international break have left much to be desired, prompting renewed debate over Spalletti’s squad selection. Pundit Sauro Fattori has been among those questioning why Locatelli continues to be overlooked, particularly given his importance at Juventus. As quoted by TuttoJuve, Fattori expressed his concerns:
“Since we stopped criticising the national team coaches, we haven’t been to the World Cup. Ricci may be a good player, but no big team wants him, let’s ask ourselves a few questions. Locatelli has been playing for Juve for five years, I would like to understand why he wasn’t called up.”
Locatelli remains a highly capable midfielder with top-level experience, and his exclusion from the national team continues to be a talking point. Given his consistent performances in Serie A, it is surprising that he has not been given a chance to prove himself under Spalletti. It remains to be seen whether he can change the manager’s mind in the coming months, but for now, he will have to continue performing at a high level and hope his efforts are eventually recognised.
