The injury to Gigi Buffon has made him become a starter against Bulgaria and Montenegro. All lights are on Marco Amelia, 26 years old, from the youth division of Roma, to maturation in Livorno, now goalkeeper for Palermo. And one of the players called on the National team coached by Lippi. “I know my role in the club Italia – he said Amelia serenely. With Buffon as goalkeeper, the team has just to train well, and maybe be ready at the right moment and take advantage of the situation. But nothing more. I am lucky because others were able to play on the National team only whent they were older, like at 34 years old.” For Amelia, the debut with the Ivory Coast in 2005 and only 6 presences up to today (with 4 goals taken in). “I would accept to be on the team even if I had to carry around the bottles of water”.

Amelia talked about one of the most controversial issues of Italian football of the past few years. “It is commonplace to say that there are no good goalkeepers in Italy. I can understand that it probably costs less to get them abroad, but in this way no trust is given to very interesting young Italian players. Like Acerbi, Morello, Zotti, and above all, De Lucia. All very good athlete. Like Marchetti, who is playing well with Cagliari because he is trusted by the group, by the coach and by the club. This is the point. Trust: you cannot throw down a goalkeeper when he makes his first mistake – said the goalkeeper of Palermo – he has to be encouraged, even if he makes a mistake, especially if he is very young”.