When ‘Alpha’ gets on the ball, you immediately sense that something special could happen. Alphadjo Cisse is one of those players blessed with natural talent, an instinctive performer who makes difficult things look easy and plays with a smile. Whether he receives the ball out wide or as a false nine, you know he could produce the unexpected. It is all in his delicate touch and fluid movement: controlling a 40-metre pass on the bounce with the outside of his foot, threading a through-ball first time, cutting inside his marker, delivering an outside-of-the-foot cross or wrong-footing the goalkeeper with a precise finish into the corner. Cisse plays football in a dinner jacket, without ever dirtying his boots.

Cisse came on in the second half of the friendly win over Empoli Primavera and displayed his full repertoire, first from the left and then through the middle. His three goals merely provided the finishing touch to a performance that hinted at considerable untapped potential. AC Milan have already seen that talent at the start of this season, with ‘Alpha’ scoring twice. “Playing for the Rossoneri is helping me develop, and I hope to bring everything I am learning to the Italy Under-21 team,” Baldini’s rough diamond said in Tirrenia. “This is a special group and I feel at home here. We spend a lot of time together and build strong bonds, and that shows on the pitch.”

After scoring 15 goals against Empoli, the Azzurrini will return to action for their final test before the European Championship qualifiers. They face Spezia Primavera at the CPO in Tirrenia tomorrow at 17:00 CEST. “I am happy with how things are going, but I try to put my emotions aside because it helps me focus and give my best. I want to keep showing what I can do. Wearing the Azzurri shirt is an honour.” The squad will travel to Yerevan on Wednesday 30 September before facing Armenia the following day at 18:30 CEST. “There is not much to say. We have to win to keep pursuing qualification.”

The Azzurrini’s bid to reach Albania and Serbia 2027 will then culminate in their final Group E match against Poland in Pescara on 5 October at 18:15 CEST. “The thought of celebrating qualification at home gives us even greater drive and motivation,” Cisse concluded. “We are excited to play in front of our supporters. We hope they turn out in numbers because we want to enjoy it together.”