Giovinco Fansite

Goal.com’s Kris Voakes welcomes the call-up of Italy’s most natural playmaker, but warns that if Giovinco is not given the support it may be a futile exercise.

Large portions of Juventus’ fanbase lamented their club’s decision last summer to allow Sebastian Giovinco to leave for Parma on a season-long loan deal. Since then, the same groups have made repeated claims that the Bianconeri’s indifferent form this term could have been avoided if ‘La Formica Atomica’ was still a fixture at Vinovo. And while, on the face of it, his Italy call-up for tomorrow’s clash with Germany in Dortmund may add fuel to the fire, the Giovinco situation is one which needs a lot more analysis.

Despite an excellent record at youth level, Giovinco found it difficult to ever become a regular in the Old Lady’s first team. Not quite a striker and yet not quite a winger, his style of play proved not to be conducive to the 4-4-2 set-up favoured by former coach Claudio Ranieri, and when Ciro Ferrara stepped in and started to play with a free-roaming playmaker – a style which seemingly played into Giovinco’s hands – the club acquired Diego from Werder Bremen to leave the youngster once again looking on from the outside.

While last season was frustrating for any Juventus fan, it must have been doubly so for the Atomic Ant. A Bianconero from birth, he had been built up for the first team for what felt like decades but now was unable to help his side in their hour of need. Injuries undoubtedly played a part as the season developed, but even when he did get a shot early in the campaign after Diego was injured away to Lazio, his form went missing and Juve started to slide after a barnstorming opening.

Even in Serie A, a league known more for its artistry and technical superiority rather than a rough and tumble, in-your-face approach, the 24-year-old has at times been proven to be short – no pun intended – of the physical capabilities necessary to impose himself on a game. Standing at only 5’5” and weighing just 62kg, he has too often been brushed aside by centre-backs, full backs and holding midfielders alike when given a run-out.

Having been used off the left in a 4-4-2 by Ranieri and trialled as a No.10 by Ferrara, he has this season been given a run on the left side of a 4-3-3 by Pasquale Marino at Parma. It’s a position in which he had many successes as Italy’s great hope at under-21 level, latterly playing a key role in the Azzurrini side that reached the 2009 European Championship semi-finals alongside Robert Acquafresca and Mario Balotelli.

Season by season – How has Giovinco been handled?

Since the defeat to Germany in that last-four encounter, the Giovinco rollercoaster has continued at club level. But an upturn since arriving in Emilia-Romagna, backed by a coach who has shown faith in him, has been highlighted by a recent bittersweet brace away to Juve and a magnificent free-kick strike against Catania. He has quickly become the go-to man for the Gialloblu and arguably deserves the chance he will surely get in Dortmund tomorrow night.

But where exactly should Cesare Prandelli include Giovinco in his line-up? The 4-3-3 formation in which he has excelled has been far from a success for the Azzurri, as highlighted under Marcello Lippi at the World Cup, and if Giovinco struggles in amongst the tough guys in the centre of the pitch in the Italian top flight, then surely he is going to be fighting a losing battle in the trequartista spot internationally with players like Arne Freidrich and Sami Khedira paying him extra attention?

A clue as to the commisario tecnico’s intentions may have come in the squad listing, as Seba was included amongst the midfielders rather than forwards, which would suggest a spot high up on the left as part of a 4-3-3 is not in Prandelli’s immediate thoughts. Maybe he will get that shot at the No.10 role as an advanced midfielder-cum-playmaker. It may not work against Germany, but there shouldn’t be a knee-jerk response when handling a talent like Giovinco.

Wherever he’s included and whatever the seemingly worthy reasons for worrying about his long-term suitability to top class international football, there is absolutely no doubting his talent with a football at his feet. It is only right that he be given a chance to prove his worth to the Azzurri shirt, particularly given that this is an era of so few attackers of natural ability in the Italian game. And it is for this reason that he should be supported as much as possible as he takes his first steps intp the senior national game. If that means putting extra muscle in around him in the midfield, then so be it, because after Giovinco there is only really Diego Fabbrini emerging as a potential No.10 over the coming years. This is the right time for Gio’s bow. Now he just needs to be given the protection and support necessary to allow him to flourish as Italy’s next big hope.