Frosinone’s Giacomo Calo Misses Italy National Team Call-Up, Agent Voices Disappointment
Serie A side Frosinone has emerged as one of the surprise teams this season, with midfielder Giacomo Calo standing out as a notable performer. His contributions to the team have sparked discussions about a possible call-up to the Italian national team.
However, Italian national coach Roberto Mancini decided to explore other options, leaving Calo’s agent, Vincenzo Pisacane, disappointed.
Pisacane spoke to Tuttomercatoweb following the announcement, asserting that Calo is the best midfielder in Serie A and expressing hope that this decision does not undermine the meritocracy within the national team selections.
Pisacane stated: “It’s normal, we’d talked about it. He’s the best midfielder in Italy right now, based on his stats. It was strange not to see him on Roberto Mancini’s list, since I know he takes these things into account. If he’d been 34 or 35, I might have understood, but he’s 29.”
“It’s normal that he aspired to the national team, and I think it would have been right to give importance to what he’s doing. I hope yesterday’s failure to call him up isn’t the death of meritocracy, and that Giacomo can be called up at a later date if he continues like this; otherwise, it means there’s no point in calling up the national team.”
Pisacane further noted Calo’s strong commitment to performing well at Frosinone, despite the interest from other clubs.
“I can say that many Serie A clubs I’d called before have gotten back to me to say – ‘What a stupid thing did not listen to you!’”
“That’s already a big deal. There will be time to talk about the transfer market and the future. Right now, Giacomo is 100% focused on Frosinone.”
He also highlighted that Calo remains driven to improve his performance further.
“You can see what they’re doing on the pitch to do those things, you have to be mentally healthy. But Giacomo is a guy with his feet firmly on the ground.
“He knows that in football one day you’re a phenomenon, and the next you’re not. That’s why he’s pushing hard, every day, to prove his worth.”
Our take: Call-up would’ve been richly deserved
Mancini has frequently experimented with national team call-ups since his initial tenure as the coach. Calo had done enough this season to warrant selection. At 29, he offers valuable midfield skills, especially with Manuel Locatelli unavailable and the young Alessandro Romano still developing. Calo is a viable option for national duties and should earn an opportunity soon, provided his impressive form continues.
