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He’s been at full speed all season. Named Serie A’s Best Defender, Marco Palestra also finished the season as the league’s fastest player, recording an average speed of 27.96 km/h. It has been a season full of milestones for the Atalanta defender, from securing survival during his loan spell at Cagliari to making his senior Italy debut.
Yet it was in the Azzurri shirt that the only real disappointment of his campaign arrived. In Zenica on 31 March, Palestra was one of Italy’s standout performers, but his second-half introduction in the World Cup play-off final against Bosnia and Herzegovina was not enough to secure qualification. “It was a difficult moment,” admitted the 2005-born defender during a press conference. “I remember the devastated faces of everyone afterwards. But now we have to move forward, and I have no doubt that we will because we are one of the strongest teams, with one of the richest histories in world football.”
STARTING OUT AS A MIDFIELDER. A dynamic wing-back, Palestra combines pace with an ability to beat his man. Surprisingly, speed was not always one of his defining qualities during his youth career. “I played as a wide midfielder and up until the age of 15 I was considered the slowest player in the team. I didn’t play much, but that’s part of the journey. I never gave up and, fortunately, I always had my family supporting me.” After coming through the Atalanta academy, his career took off with the club’s Under-23 side in Serie C. “That experience was fundamental. It helped me understand what professional football is really like. Then this season, my first as a regular starter in Serie A, gave me a lot of confidence. I had a fantastic time at Cagliari.”
Among defenders across Europe’s top five leagues, Palestra completed more successful dribbles than anyone else (70), a statistic that helps explain why several major clubs in Italy and abroad are reportedly interested in him. “Do I feel ready for a top club? I’ve always felt ready. For now, though, I’m not thinking about the distant future; I’m focused on these next two matches with the national team. We need to perform well, especially for the ranking.”
A STRONG AND UNITED GROUP. Remarkably, despite having earned only two senior caps, Palestra is already one of the more experienced players in Italy’s current squad. Alongside Donnarumma, Pisilli and Pio Esposito, he is one of the few players in the group who has already made his senior debut. “My debut against Northern Ireland was one of the best moments of my life. It will stay with me forever. These past few days have shown that we have a fantastic group. We all want to do well and we have a coach who pushes us every day. Not only are we working hard on the pitch, but we’re also getting on brilliantly off it.
SQUAD LIST
Goalkeepers: Giovanni Daffara (Avellino), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Manchester City), Lorenzo Palmisani (Frosinone);
Defenders: Honest Ahanor (Atalanta), Davide Bartesaghi (Milan), Fabio Chiarodia (Borussia Monchengladbach), Pietro Comuzzo (Fiorentina), Costantino Favasuli (Catanzaro), Filippo Mane (Borussia Dortmund), Marco Palestra (Cagliari), Luca Reggiani (Borussia Dortmund);
Midfielders: Tommaso Berti (Cesena), Matteo Dagasso (Venezia), Giacomo Faticanti (Juventus), Luca Lipani (Sassuolo), Cher Ndour (Fiorentina), Niccolò Pisilli (Roma);
Forwards: Francesco Camarda (Lecce), Luigi Cherubini (Sampdoria), Jeff Ekhator (Genoa), Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Seydou Fini (Frosinone), Samuele Inacio (Borussia Dortmund), Luca Koleosho (Paris FC).
*Niccolò Fortini (Fiorentina) has been added to the list of players called up and will join the training camp ahead of the friendly matches until Tuesday 2 June.