Is it Time To Bring in a New Era of Italian Football?

Even before Roberto Donadoni and Italy's struggles in Euro 2008, there were many people talking about whether the squad was too old and questions were raised whether it was time to usher in a new era for one of the world's best teams.

The response by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), was to hire 2006 World Cup manager Marcello Lippi in hopes that he would restore the glory of the Azzurri.

However, after a lackluster 2-1 victory over Georgia in 2010 World Cup qualifying this past weekend, the talk of bringing more young players into the squad has been brought again.

There is no doubt that Italy is in a transition phase.

Captain Fabio Cannavaro, who missed Euro 2008 due to injury, is 34 and has said that the World Cup will be his last international tournament. Midfield fixtures Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso are 29 and 30, respectively.

Striker Luca Toni, who was the most disappointing player at Euro 2008 for Italy, is 31 years old. Keeper Gianluigi Buffon, the likely captain in South Africa, is also 30.

By the time the next World Cup rolls around, these players will all be two years older and who knows where their skill level will be.

So who can step in and take the places of the elder statesmen on the Azzurri team?

Defender Giorgio Chiellini, who before last season was more of a left back than a central defner, showed his worth at Euro 2008. After stepping in after not appearing against the Netherlands, Chiellini showed he might be the next great central defender for the Azzurri.

The question for Italy fans is, who will play alongside the Juventus gigantus?

Marco Materazzi is out of the picture now after struggling to find his form domestically and internationally since 2006. Thirty-six year old Christian Panucci, who shifted to the center of the defense after the Netherlands fiasco, has not had kind words to say about Lippi in the past and was not selected for the two World Cup qualifiers this past week.

Andrea Barzagli has shown he can't get it done at the international level after being a huge letdown in Austria this summer.

That leaves Fiorentina's Alessandro Gamberini as the next logical choice to play alongside Chiellini. Although he has only three international caps, Gamberini has a load of talent and will gain more experience through the qualifying process. Another candidate is 22-year-old Fabiano Santacroce of Napoli, who has been tipped as a Cannavaro-like defender.

The real talent push will be in the attack with Roma midfielders Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani, who are just 24 and 23 respectively, leading the way.

De Rossi, who featured largely at Euro 2008, is looked at as a future captain for the Azzurri while Aquilani, who played sparingly until he got the start against Spain in the quarterfinals, will  an important role as he gains trust from Lippi. Pirlo is not out of the question either as he has one of Lippi's most reliable choices in the midfield.

The influx of talent from the Under-21 side will likely be noticed in the coming months and matches. Antonio Nocerino, who joined Palermo as part of Amauri's move to Juventus, received his first call last year and has been tabbed as a possible replacement as the next Gattuso-like hard-man in the midfield.

The name that everybody will be awaiting to be called is Sebastian Giovinco. The Azzurrini's No. 10 has dazzled at every level of international and will looking to prove his point before the final roster is named before the World Cup.

Other midfielders like Luca Cigarini, Pasqaule Foggia, and Claudio Marchisio could also be candidates for spots in the next few years.

Up front, the Azzurri will be looking to add some youthful flair to an aging core of strikers. Toni and Alessandro Del Piero, who did not do what was expected of them this summer, may be joined be a group of youngsters in 2010.

Antonio Cassano, who made his international return at Euro 2008, is not a favorite of Lippi. However, the veteran coach may be forced to select the 26-year-old dynamo if his team continues to struggle to put the ball in the back of the net.

It will also be a matter of time before Giuseppe Rossi gets his call to the senior squad. Much like Giovinco, Rossi has been the driving force of the Azzurrini attack for years and is on the doorstep of making an impact with the senior squad.

The wild card in all of this is Mario Balotelli. Born to Ghanaian parents in Italy, 18-year-old striker 'Super Mario' burst onto the scene last season with Inter Milan and scored in his U-21 debut this weekend. If Inter coach Jose Morinho can have faith in him, he is ready for big-time international football.