Nicolò Barella did not relish being reminded he has scored more international goals than any other player in Italy’s squad at Euro 2024. “That worries me a bit,” he said when the detail was put to him at the end of the 2-1 win against Albania on Saturday. “It means I’m getting old.”
At 27, Barella is hardly in the twilight of his career. There are plenty of older players representing the Azzurri in Germany, and yet only one outfielder, Jorginho, has been capped more times. The Arsenal player made his 55th Italy appearance against Albania. Barella is on 54.
Their midfield partnership is a key pillar of Luciano Spalletti’s team, one of few elements retained from the side that won the last European Championship under Roberto Mancini. If Jorginho, now 32, was at the peak of his powers then, winning the Champions League with Chelsea that same summer and going on to finish third in the Ballon d’Or voting, Barella bears
the weight of expectation this time.
In the past three years, he has lifted eight trophies, adding a pair of Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia triumphs and three Supercoppe with Internazionale to Euros success with Italy. Barella has not yet matched Jorginho in winning the Champions League but did play in the final 12 months ago.
During a friendly against Ecuador in March, he wore the Italy captain’s armband for the first time – becoming the second player from Sardinia to do so and marking the occasion with a chipped goal. That was Barella’s ninth strike for the national team. Against Albania he made it a round 10.
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