Mateo Retegui scored in his first two international appearances, prompting Roberto Mancini to declare that he may call up more ‘Oriundi’ to play for Italy. Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany, and England all perform the action.
Retegui and Monza midfielder Matteo Pessina scored for the Azzurri as they defeated Malta 2-0 on the road this evening to gain their first points in EURO 2024 qualifying.
Retegui, who was born in Argentina and is now on loan from Boca Juniors to Tigre, scored on his debut in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to England, indicating that Mancini was correct to take a large chance on the Tigre prospect who is on loan from Boca Juniors.
“Retegui understands how to score goals, which is no little feat,” stated Mancini in his news conference.
This is what we saw when scouting him. He needs more time, he must familiarize himself with European football, but he understands how to score, which is an important attribute.”
There had been criticism that Retegui was representing Italy while not yet speaking Italian, but he has begun to sing the national song this evening.
“His effort is already commendable. Retegui’s presence in Serie A would make him stronger, assist him in learning the language, and therefore improve his ability to communicate with his colleagues on the pitch.”
The coach was asked if he intended to follow Retegui’s lead and recruit more “Oriundi” — individuals who were born and reared abroad but have Italian ancestry.
“Sure, that is conceivable. In Serie A, only a small number of Italians play frequently. If you examine other nations, you will notice that they all practice it. Switzerland has 15 Oriundi players out of a total of 20. So do Belgium. France, Germany, and the United Kingdom all regard Oriundi.
“Before a few years, we had a large number of strong players and did not need to do it. The competition did the same, frequently snatching players whom we had helped to grow and mature, so we will do the same.”
There is also a movement in cultural acceptability in Italy, which is beginning to recognize persons born and nurtured in the nation as Italians, even if their parents, like Wilfried Gnonto, are from the Ivory Coast.
Italy has not typically dealt with this issue, since it has always been a nation of emigrants who spread around the globe, rather than a nation that welcomes new migrants to the Peninsula.