Ever since the dawn of Calcio, Italy has consistently provided some of the very best players to ever grace the world of football. If you were to look at each position individually, and list the true legends of each role, there would be Italian representatives throughout. Zoff, Buffon, Facchetti, Maldini, Baresi, Rivera, Pirlo, Baggio, Meazza, – These are just the tip of the iceberg, to illustrate the point; The full list would be a lot longer!
There is however, one exception to the rule, as it would be very hard to compile a list of great Italian wingers. For some unknown reason, the Azzurri have been bereft of wide players that could be considered ‘world class’, and until recently, there was no evidence to suggest the situation was about to change, but in the last 18 months, Fiorentina may well have found themselves a genuine contender. Step forward, Alessio Cerci.
The former Roma youth product is fast establishing himself as one of Serie A’s star players, and if he continues to progress, there is no telling how far he could go. At a time when Italy’s top flight is going through a positive culture shift, with teams generally opting for faster, attacking football, Cerci is finding his talents are perfectly suited to the game.
Serie A, at long last, appears to be looking towards the example set by the Premier League and La Liga, in an attempt to halt the apparent drop in standards that has seen Uefa’s Co-efficient rank it the fourth strongest league in Europe. Of the many superstars that grace the top three championships, a large percentage are wingers; Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Angel Di Maria, Nani, Ribery and Robben- these players are amongst the most popular of all, combining flair, dribbling skills and goalscoring to the delight of their fans. In truth, these wide men are the kind of players that have been missing from Calcio, but with the rise of Cerci, that trend may be coming to an end.
A natural winger who is comfortable on either flank, Cerci is proving that he has all the necessary attributes to challenge Europe’s elite. Built with a solid frame, he is not easily knocked off the ball, and possesses the speed needed to get past defenders in one-on-one situations. This is a vital weapon in modern football, as defenders often tell us, nothing worries them more than pace.
As is often the case with the modern 4-3-3 formation, the left footed Italian is asked to play on the right flank, cutting inside to join the front man, and in doing so Cerci has shown quality when running with the ball, regularly ghosting past challenges with his direct approach. His willingness to commit defenders opens up space for Fiorentina to exploit, as well as getting fans off their seats in excitement.
Many promising young wingers fail to reach their potential, usually due to an inability to produce an end product befitting of their approach play. Speed and skill can be wasted if a player cannot see the final pass, cross or shot that results in goals for his team, but this is a criticism that cannot be directed towards Cerci, as he is already producing a high level of consistency, contributing both goals and assists for Fiorentina.
Last season -his first for the Viola- Alessio Cerci made 28 appearances in Serie A and scored nine goals. A strike rate of one in three would be the target for many of the leagues’ seasoned strikers, which puts into perspective these impressive stats. Seemingly determined not to be a ‘one season wonder’, Cerci has started in every game so far this campaign, and in his first five games he has already found the net three times. If he continues in this vein of form, Fiorentina can look to build on their positive start and leave Roma wondering why they let the player leave for such a small fee (four million euros), especially as he had already shown his goalscoring potential when on loan at Pisa, scoring ten times in 26 games.
As for the future, there would seem to be no limit to how far the young Italian can go. Already a target for Manchester City and Juventus, with Roberto Mancini describing the player as “extraordinary”, Cerci decided to show some loyalty and stay at Fiorentina for the time being, after resolving his issues with the Viola Ultras in the close-season. Sinisa Mihijlovic must be targeting European qualification this season, or it will only be a matter of time before another big club offers Cerci the chance to prove himself on a bigger stage.
At international level, that chance may well come next summer. Cesare Prandelli must be giving serious thought to calling him up to the full Italian squad, especially considering the lack of alternatives. At the moment, the only other option for the Azzurri Chief, as an out and out winger, would be Simone Pepe, who is a good player, but one who relies more on being industrious rather than inventive, and does suffer with inconsistency.
It would surely be beneficial to the national team to have the option of playing a genuine winger, instead of asking strikers or midfielders to play out of their natural positions. Even if used to suit a change of tactics late in a game, Alessio Cerci will be hoping that the European Championship provides him with the chance to announce himself to the world of football. If he can then follow that with regular Champions League football, then lovers of Italian football will find out whether or not they have finally found a winger to rival the very best.
For all the latest Serie A news don’t forget to check out the Clubs section of Forza Italian Football.
Join Forza Italian Football on Twitter and Facebook.
