We must treat young talent as adults: Prandelli

Italian football must not repeat its mistake of treating talented young footballers like spoilt children and instead show them respect as adults, new Italian coach Cesare Prandelli said on Sunday.

The 52-year-old was speaking just two days ahead of his debut as national coach with a friendly between the 2006 World Cup winners and African giants Ivory Coast.

Prandelli, who replaced Marcello Lippi as coach, is seeking to restore some pride in the national side after their humiliating exit at the World Cup finals where they finished bottom of their group.

The former Fiorentina coach said that youngsters such as Inter Milan’s Mario Balotelli should be nurtured and not simply discarded like Lippi did for the World Cup squad because he had earned a reputation of being difficult.

“Me with players like Balotelli, I want to create an empathetic atmosphere,” said Prandelli, who picked just nine of the World Cup squad in his first selection.

“I am saying to him and the other young players I am here, I will listen to you, what can I do for you’

“We talk of young players who have a load of talent but who often also have a desire to demonstrate that they are adults, when all we do is treat them often as spoilt kids.”

Prandelli, who was also coach of among others Parma and Venezia after ending his playing career at Atalanta, said that what he had seen so far of the young players had encouraged him there was a new spirit within the squad.

“The first signs are positive, they (the young players) were all smiling,” said Prandelli, who as a player won three Serie A titles with Juventus and the 1985 European Cup which was overshadowed by the deaths of 39 fans at the Heysel Stadium.

“On the pitch I want to see a relaxed team. We must be hungry to take risks, to get over our fears, and deliver quality football.”

Prandelli, who suffered personal tragedy three years ago when his wife died after a long battle with cancer, also defended his decision to recall 28-year-old former badboy Antonio Cassano – who won the last of his 15 caps two years ago – after he had an impressive season for Sampdoria last term.

“He (Cassano) will have a prominent role and will be a point of reference for his team-mates,” said Prandelli. “Antonio has matured. It is an extraordinary opportunity for him,” added Prandelli.

Prandelli also brushed aside criticisms voiced by the separatist party the Northern League, a member of the Italian coalition government, of his selecting players with not 100percent Italian heritage such as Balotelli, whose parents are Ghanaian, and Brazil-born Amauri, who was recently naturalised.

“I will continue in the direction I have taken,” insisted Prandelli.

“There will always be controversies. Last season at Fiorentina, I was accused of selecting an out of form Gilardino, they made a real scene about it but I refused to budge over selecting him.”

Amauri for his part said there was only one way of convincing the doubters that they were wrong.

“It will be for me and Balotelli to change the opinions of those people,” said the 30-year-old striker. “I have become an Italian to the bottom of my heart, after 10 years living in Italy.”