Guglielmo Vicario, the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper, made his debut for the Italian national team in a Nations League match against Israel. The game took place in Udine, his hometown. Italy won the match 4-1, but Vicario’s performance was overshadowed by a significant error. He conceded a goal directly from a corner kick in the second half. This mistake came from a curled effort by Mohammad Abu Fani. Despite the victory, the goal marked a disappointing moment for Vicario in his first match for the national team.
Vicario had replaced Gianluigi Donnarumma in this match. Italy had been dominant throughout the game, with goals from Mateo Retegui, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and Davide Frattesi. However, Vicario’s blunder resulted in the loss of a clean sheet. After the match, Vicario expressed that he felt obstructed by Matan Baltaxa, who he claimed blocked him within the rules. The referee and VAR reviewed the situation and judged it to be fair play.
The Italian media were not kind in their assessment of Vicario’s debut. Eurosport gave him a low rating of 5.5 out of 10, suggesting that fans expected more from a goalkeeper of his caliber. Former French defender Frank Leboeuf was also critical, calling the situation “crazy” during an ESPN segment. He pointed out that Vicario should have reacted better to prevent the goal. Leboeuf expressed disbelief that Vicario did not push or maneuver around the player obstructing him. He described Vicario’s inability to react as an enigma and said he had never seen anything like it in his career.
Vicario has had a challenging time dealing with set-pieces since joining Tottenham. In his debut Premier League season, he conceded a total of 61 goals in 38 appearances. This past performance raised concerns about his abilities, especially after conceding from a set-piece in the North London derby against Arsenal. In that match, Gabriel scored the only goal, again highlighting Vicario’s struggles.
As the season progresses, Tottenham’s defense has shown some improvement on set-pieces, but Vicario’s latest mistake with the national team revealed ongoing issues. The 28-year-old is determined to address these shortcomings. His performances are under scrutiny, and fans are eager to see if he can learn from these errors and become more consistent.
In addition to Vicario’s situation, Tottenham is reportedly interested in Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. The 26-year-old forward has a £60 million release clause that will be active for next summer. Eze was expected to leave Crystal Palace during the recent transfer window but did not receive any solid offers. With Crystal Palace struggling this season, there may be challenges in keeping Eze at the club.
Top-six Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and Manchester United, have been scouting Eze. He is considered a valuable player, and there is a possibility he will seek a move away from Crystal Palace after this season. The ongoing interest in Eze shows that Tottenham is looking to strengthen their squad and remain competitive in the league. As the season unfolds, both Vicario’s performance and Eze’s future will be key topics of discussion for Tottenham fans.
