Domenico Berardi sustained a significant injury during Sassuolo’s recent away match against Hellas Verona, rendering him unavailable for the remainder of the season. As a consequence, Berardi’s participation in Euro 2024 with the Italian national team is now uncertain. This predicament prompts Luciano Spalletti, the coach of Italy, to contemplate how best to fill the void left by the 29-year-old forward during the upcoming tournament in Germany.
Berardi’s departure from the field occurred in the 60th minute of the match at the Stadio Bentegodi in Verona, following a sudden and evidently painful incident. Samu Castillejo was promptly substituted in to replace him. Initial reports from Verona do little to alleviate concerns for both Davide Ballardini, the newly appointed coach of Sassuolo, and Spalletti, who leads the Italian national team.
“Berardi is important for us but also for Italian football, so this goes beyond Sassuolo, so I am really sad. In just a few days, I could see his quality,” Ballardini told DAZN after the game on Sunday.
If, as expected, it will be confirmed that Berardi suffered an Achilles tendon injury, he will be sidelined for at least six months. It is a rare injury in football that is already sadly familiar to Italian football fans. Leonardo Spinazzola suffered the same injury in 2021 during a quarter-final tie against Belgium in the European Championship and returned to action 10 months later with Roma.
Berardi has featured in three out of six Italy matches under Spalletti, with his absence in the remaining fixtures attributed to minor injuries. Initially slated to occupy the starting position on the right wing during the 2024 Euros, it appears that adjustments may be necessary in the Azzurri’s lineup due to Berardi’s circumstances.
Potential replacements for Berardi include Nicolò Zaniolo and Matteo Politano, although Coach Spalletti possesses several alternatives. Notably, Riccardo Orsolini of Bologna, who has demonstrated notable performance in Serie A, has made three appearances under Spalletti. Additionally, Raoul Bellanova, though yet to debut for the senior Azzurri squad, has been mentioned in a recent report from Tuttosport as a potential inclusion for upcoming matches against Venezuela and Ecuador. Bellanova, primarily deployed as a right wing-back in Torino’s 3-5-2 system, remains adaptable to more offensive roles if necessary.
While Federico Chiesa, Stephan El Shaarawy, and Mattia Zaccagni typically operate as left-wingers, their versatility allows for deployment on the right flank if required. Similarly, Wilfried Gnonto and Giacomo Raspadori, though typically stationed centrally for Leeds and Napoli respectively, could potentially be utilized on the right side by Spalletti if called upon for Euro 2024.
Berardi, with eight goals in 28 Italy appearances, notably started five out of seven matches during Euro 2020, including the Final against England at Wembley Stadium, culminating in Italy’s triumph via penalties.