Alpha Cisse Shines in Turin but Italy Call Delayed
Alpha Cisse is beginning to enjoy Turin. The 19-year-old has scored twice for Milan this season, and both goals have come in the same city, from almost the same patch of grass.
He struck first against Torino, opening Milan’s campaign with the kind of composed finish that turns heads early in a season. Then came Juventus. Same stadium, same drifting movement into space, same cold-blooded execution after stepping off the bench. Two goals, two statements, one emerging storyline.
That kind of impact tends to echo quickly in Italy. Talk began to swirl that Cisse, already capped twice at U21 level, might be fast-tracked into the senior Azzurri squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures. A bold selection, a nod to a new cycle, a message that no reputation is safe and no talent too young.
Not yet.
According to MilanNews, Roberto Mancini is watching Cisse closely. The Italy manager has his eye on the teenager, weighing his progress, his temperament, his readiness. Technical director Claudio Ranieri is also tracking him, keen to see how the youngster handles this first real wave of expectation.
The verdict, for now, is patience. Cisse will not join the senior Italy squad for the Nations League games. Instead, he will drop back into familiar territory with the U21s during the international break, as they face Poland and Armenia.
On paper, it is a logical step. More minutes, more responsibility, more room to grow away from the harsher glare of the senior setup. But the sense lingers that this could easily have been the moment to break the pattern.
A call-up now would have carried weight beyond one teenager’s rapid rise. It would have signalled that Italy are ready to accelerate change, to move decisively away from the habits that have stalled them in recent years. That message has been postponed, and the decision leaves a faintly bitter aftertaste.
Cisse will go back to work with the U21s, still on the radar, still rising, still scoring in the big stadiums. The Azzurri call looks inevitable. The only real question is how long Italy can afford to wait.
