Serie A side Frosinone have been one of the surprise packages of the season and Giacomo Calo has been one of the best midfielders of the campaign. The Italian has impressed quite a bit, contributing to goals often and this made him one of the candidates to earn a call-up to the Italian national team.
But Roberto Mancini sought other options, which has come as a disappointment for Caloโs agent Vincenzo Pisacane.
He spoke to Tuttomercatoweb about Manciniโs decision and made it clear that Calo is the best midfielder in Serie A, while hoping the decision isnโt the death of meritocracy.
Pisacane said: โItโs normal, weโd talked about it. Heโs the best midfielder in ltaly right now, based on his stats. It was strange not to see him on Roberto Manciniโs list, since I know he takes these things into account. If heโd been 34 or 35, I might have understood, but heโs 29.โ
โItโs normal that he aspired to the national team, and I think it would have been right to give importance to what heโs doing. I hope yesterdayโs failure to call him up isnโt the death of meritocracy, and that Giacomo can be called up at a later date if he continues like this; otherwise, it means thereโs
no point in calling up the national team.โ
Pisacane also revealed that Calo is very much focused on doing well at Frosinone, even if suitors can come calling.
โI can say that many Serie A clubs Iโd called before have gotten back to me to say โ โWhat a stupid thing did not listen to you!'โ
โThatโs already a big deal. There will be time to talk about the transfer market and the future. Right now, Giacomo is 100% focused on Frosinone.โ
Pisacane also revealed that Calo will keep pushing for more and is focused on impressing further.
โYou can see what theyโre doing on the pitch to do those things, you have to be mentally
healthy. But Giacomo is a guy with his feet firmly on the ground.
โHe knows that in football one day youโre a phenomenon, and the next youโre not. Thatโs why heโs pushing hard, every day, to prove his worth.โ
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Our take: Call-up wouldโve been richly deserved
Mancini has constantly experimented with the national team call-ups since his first spell as the boss. Calo had done enough to earn one too. While he is 29, he offers technical ability in midfield and with Manuel Locatelli out and Alessandro Romano still young, he wouldโve come in as a viable option in that position.
At the same time, he should get his opportunity soon, especially if he keeps going.
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Kaustubh Pandey โ GIFN
