Mateo Retegui, Roberto Mancini’s Argentine bet to make up for the shortage of Italian strikers, did not miss his debut in the Azzurro jersey with two goals in two matches. To be confirmed on the road to Euro 2024.
Against England, in Naples, Thursday for the first qualifying match, his first goal had not prevented the defeat of the European champions (2-1) but had sounded their alarm clock after a first half outrageously dominated by the Three Lions.
In Malta on Sunday, the authoritarian header from the 23-year-old center forward after a quarter of an hour of play put the Italians on the road to a victory without panache, but synonymous with a rebound (2-0) .
Retegui is only the fourth Italian international in history to score twice in his first two caps after Giorgio Chinaglia (1972), Enrico Chiesa (1996) and Riccardo Orsolini (2019, 2020). “ He unlocked the game, he was essential “Admitted Roberto Mancini, who can only be satisfied with his find unearthed in the Argentine championship where Retegui is top scorer (six goals in eight days). Unknown to Italian tifosi so far, the center-forward plays for Club Atlético Tigre, a Buenos Aires club, on loan from Boca Juniors. Born in Argentina, he has an Italian passport due to the Sicilian origins of his grandfather, born in Canicattì.
” He, at least, he scores »
It is part of the great tradition of the Azzurri having originally had another nationality, dating back more than a century and counting around fifty players, half of whom are Italo-Argentinians like the 2006 world champion Mauro Camoranesi .
His first international week obviously wasn’t enough for Retegui to learn Dante’s language. It is therefore in Spanish that the child from Buenos Aires described, on Rai, his “happiness to have started” with Italy.
In the Italian press, his two goals are above all synonymous with relief, offering the hope of no longer depending solely on the irregular Ciro Immobile (33 years old, 55 caps, 15 goals), the one with whom Italy was champion of Europe in 2021, but also missed the World Cup twice (in 2018 and 2022). Retegui? ” He, at least, he scores “Blowed into a Tuttosport.
” Two matches, two shots on target, two goals. When we give him more than one ball per game, we will have fun. Until then, thanks to the ”Mancio” (Mancini, editor’s note) for having found it “, underlined the Gazzetta dello Sport, while acknowledging that it” must improve tactically, because he still wastes several balls, in movements, in relations with the team “.
Inter on its trail
Mancini, if he sees in the newcomer a possible Gabriel Batistuta, hammered the same message all week: ” He needs time, he still has to know European football well. »
” He must be quiet Napoli winger Matteo Politano also encouraged him when Nazionale goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma insisted he still had to “working and learning (the) game concepts “.
This learning could continue directly on European grounds: his new status as an international azzurro has increased tenfold the discussions around his future, according to the Italian media.
Inter Milan, in particular, would be very interested in him. But the father of the person concerned, who is also his agent, assured to have also had contacts with Spanish, English and German clubs. The Argentinian unknown is no longer one.
(With AFP)