Stramaccioni: ‘Pio Esposito best in the world, extraordinary Italy revival’

Stramaccioni: ‘Pio Esposito best in the world, extraordinary Italy revival’ Andrea Stramaccioni maintains Pio Esposito is ‘the best centre-forward of his type in the world’ and Roberto Mancini is building an ‘unthinkable’ and ‘extraordinary’ reboot for Italy. The Azzurri had started the second Mancini era with a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium , leading some to fear relegation from the Nations League A so soon after missing out on a third consecutive World Cup. Instead, they go into tonight’s match in Brussels as group leaders, having earned a 1-1 draw away to France, then beaten Zinedine Zidane’s side 3-1 at San Siro. Stramaccioni won over by Esposito and Italy PARIS, FRANCE – OCTOBER 02: Riccardo Calafiori, Pio Esposito and Sebastiano Esposito of Italy looks on alongside teammates before the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between France and Italy at Stade de France on October 02, 2026 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pauline Figuet/Getty Images) “Achieving the level the Azzurri reached so quickly was truly unthinkable,” confessed former Inter coach Stramaccioni to La Gazzetta dello Sport. “I believed that Mancini and his staff were on the right path, but what they are doing is extraordinary. There is the right mix of experience and freshness, of wisdom and a clear head, but also the palpable sense that they want to evaluate players as well as protect them. “I am thinking of the clear defence of Alessandro Romano after his debut, of choosing Michael Kayode, or lads like Nicolò Cambiaghi and Sebastiano Esposito. They are dealing with human beings first, and it’s worth double after those very difficult first 30 minutes with Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico.” ROME, ITALY – SEPTEMBER 25:Pio Esposito of Italy compete for the ball with Nathan Ngoy during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and Belgium at Stadio Olimpico on September 25, 2026 in Rome, Italy. (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images) The breakout star is Pio Esposito, who scored twice in the 3-1 victory over France, and at the age of 21 has nine goals in 14 senior caps for Italy. “I’d say Pio is the best centre-forward of his type in the world, a striker who is physically strong and primarily does his work with back to goal. I don’t see many around with his characteristics, as while Thierno Barry and Samu Aghehowa are strong, Pio is superior. His two goals in four days against Jacobo Ramon of Como and France’s Dayot Upamecano were identical, because when he takes his position, you can’t move him.” MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Pio Esposito of Italy scores his team’s first goal under pressure from Dayot Upamecano of France during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026 in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) A strong centre-forward had for so long been the biggest problem for Italian football, as they struggled to find anyone to lead the line. “I think the last real Number 9 for Italy was Luca Toni,” added Stramaccioni, who is now a pundit on RAI Sport and DAZN Italia. “We are talking about a 21-year-old who has great football intelligence, both on and off the field. He has a strong family unit behind him, and two coaches in Cristian Chivu and Mancini who provide great emotional support too. We cannot possibly imagine how good he could become.” MILAN – NOVEMBER 12: Roberto Mancini, Head Coach of Italy, speaks to Riccardo Calafiori during the UEFA Nations League 2026/27 group phase match between Italy and France at San Siro Stadium on November 12, 2026 in Milan. (Photo by Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images) Harry Kane just won the Ballon d’Or for his work with England and Bayern Munich, but Stramaccioni warns he is a different kind of striker to Esposito. “In terms of value to his national team, they are similar, but not when it comes to their approach. At the age of 21 and working with Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, Kane was more of a 9.5 than a 9, in that he was often behind Soldado and could combine the attack with midfield, but he did already have that goal-scoring sense.”