He hadn’t even tasted the selection before this June. Riccardo Calafiori was not expected as a pillar of the Nazionale, nor even as a starter at the time of the announcement of the list by Luciano Spalletti. But in the middle of a squad that is certainly limited in quality, he has already emerged and played all the minutes since the start of the Euro. Better, the 22-year-old central defender has just saved his selection by initiating the action of the equalizing goal at the very end of the match against Croatia (1-1) with an extraordinary ball recovery over nearly 70 meters. In money time, many would have been content with a neutral pass, to secure the shot or to swing in front, to avoid being the one who lost the ball on the last opportunity. Not him.
