Juve, Ciccio Graziani crowns Gatti as the new Barzagli

Francesco ‘Ciccio’ Graziani, a former footballer and coach, has heaped praises on Juventus player, Federico Gatti. Speaking on ‘World Champions’ aired on Rai Radio2, Graziani compared Gatti’s prowess in aerial combat on the pitch with that of Horst Hrubesch, the former Hamburg striker from the 70s and 80s.

“He’s a player who has great humility and determination,” said Graziani. He lauded Gatti’s ability to be a persistent threat to the opposing team with his impressive high jumps. Contrary to the popular belief, Graziani doesn’t think Gatti is the successor of Chiellini, but he believes Gatti bears more resemblance to Barzagli owing to his unpredictable and gritty style of play.

Furthermore, he acclaimed the trio of Gatti, Bremer and Rugani, along with Danilo, as the most fearsome aerial defense force in Serie A.

Turning the discussion to Juventus’ chances for winning Scudetto, Graziani stated, “Midweek commitments have an impact on the league. As of now, I think Juventus has some advantage over Inter, as they are not playing in cups.”