Baldini not worried about Italy future
Silvio Baldini is not concerned about his long-term future with the Italy national team, saying he "simply wanted to be useful" after leading a young side to two friendly wins.
Having taken the reins on an interim basis after Gennaro Gattuso's dismissal, which came in the aftermath of Italy failing to reach a third consecutive World Cup, Baldini named 21 uncapped players in his squad to face Luxembourg and Greece.
Francesco Pio Esposito scored in both games as the Azzurri claimed a pair of 1-0 wins, with their lineup against Luxembourg being their youngest since December 1912.
Antonio Conte appears to be the leading candidate for the permanent Italy job, though an audacious swoop for former Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has also been mentioned as a possibility.
When asked if he would return to his role as under-21 head coach after the win over Greece, or get another chance to impress when the senior team opens iuts Nations League campaign in September, Baldini said: "It doesn't matter to me.
"I simply wanted to be useful. I am part of the Italy family. I coached these matches because I wanted my players to be appreciated for what they have achieved with me."
When told some pundits wished for him to stay on, he replied: "Thank you, but what matters to me is doing my job well. Unfortunately, in football, people are quick to put labels on you.
"I believe the best response to those labels is what these boys have shown on the pitch. I'm not someone who came out of nowhere. Fate brought me here, but the journey has been difficult."
Inter striker Esposito is just the fourth player to score on each of his first three starts for Italy, after Omar Enrique Sivori, Riccardo Carapellese and Annibale Frossi.
He now has five international goals, with only Giuseppe Meazza (11) scoring more times for the Azzurri before turning 21.
The 20 year-old was one of the most experienced players in Baldini's squad, which was led by Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and he is now intrigued to see how his young players develop in the future.
"I know the value of these players," Baldini said. "When young players understand that having rules is a resource rather than a punishment, they have reached the level of maturity needed to become an important team
"Now they just need to keep growing. I was hoping we would get a little bit of luck as well, because luck matters in all aspects of life.
"I wanted them to gain confidence from this experience. Having rules and a proper lifestyle is not a punishment."
