Lionel Scaloni has done something Argentina fans weren't used to, which is to call up players born overseas. Manchester United sensation Alejandro Garnacho is the best example, as the winger was actually born in Spain. Now, Italy are doing something similar.
Though it's a country that had already forged a reputation for producing some of the world's best talents, including two of the all-time greats in Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi, Argentina seem to draw even more attention now that they're the reigning World Cup winners.
On the other hand, La Azzurra is a team that misses the good old days. Though they won the Euro 2020, Italy have missed the last two World Cups, which is why they need to start from scratch. Therefore, they set their sights on a player who shines in the league of the world champions.
Italy call up Argentine sensation ahead of Euro qualifiers
Italian national team manager Roberto Mancini took everyone by surprise by including Mateo Retegui, who plays for Argentine Liga Profesional outfit Tigre, in his preliminary roster for the March international break.
The Tigre striker is very popular in his country, but relatively unknown outside Argentina. However, it looks like Mancini has been doing his homework. Retegui is the most in-form striker in the Argentine first division, boasting an impressive six goals in as many games this year.
The Boca Juniors loanee comes from a fantastic 2022 season, in which he finished as the league's top scorer with an impressive 19 goals in 27 games. At 23, the future looks bright for Retegui. Many predicted him to be playing in Europe soon, though no one imagined it would be for the Italian national team.
