Former Olympique Lyonnais midfielder Juninho believes that Italy will have trouble passing the first round of the World Cup in Brazil this summer.
Spain defeated the Azzurri 1-0 in their recent international friendly on March 5 in Madrid, and the 39-year-old admits that he was unsatisfied with the Italian side’s performance against the reigning World Cup champions.
Juninho spoke to RMC about Italy’s loss to Spain and commented on the country’s lack of diversity in midfield.
“I was disappointed, I saw a team of robots,” said the former Brazil international, who helped lead Lyon to seven consecutive Ligue 1 titles from 2002-08.
“Many of the midfield players had the same characteristics, like [Andrea] Pirlo and [Riccardo] Montolivo.
“They haven’t found a number 10 that can also contribute to the attacking plays.
“I’m really worried about this team. In my opinion, they will have a hard time passing the first round of the World Cup.”
