Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario returned to his hometown of Udine to make his Italy debut in their Nations League clash with Israel, but conceded a howler directly from the corner flag in the 4-1 victory.
The Azzurri dominated the visitors on Monday night thanks to goals from Mateo Retegui, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, and Davide Frattesi, but lost their clean sheet after a big mistake from Vicario in goal.
The Spurs shot-stopper was powerless to prevent Mohammad Abu Fani’s curled effort from going in directly from the corner in the second half, resulting in a national team debut to forget after replacing Gianluigi Donnarumma for the contest.
After the game, Vicario complained he was obstructed by Matan Baltaxa, who successfully blocked him within the rules, as the referee and VAR judged it to be fair pressure.
Italian media have been less than kind about Vicario’s senior debut for Italy, with Eurosport awarding him a 5.5/10 rating for his display on Monday, suggesting that fans should ‘expect more’ from a goalkeeper of his calibre.
Vicario Makes Italy Debut
In 4-1 win over Israel
Former France defender Frank Leboeuf was also surprised at how Vicario was unable to react before conceding directly from a corner kick, branding the situation ‘crazy’ while speaking on ESPN:
“It was crazy to see. Push the guy, I don’t know, go over him, go in front of him, do something with your hands. Push him. Exist. He doesn’t exist. That’s crazy.
“I have never seen that in my life. That’s an enigma for me, the way the guy is incapable of reacting one against one.”
Vicario struggled in set-piece situations throughout his first season in north London, where he conceded 61 goals in 38 appearances in his debut campaign in the Premier League.
The 28-year-old vowed to improve on the matter after the North London derby against Arsenal, when he conceded from a set-piece once again, after Gabriel headed in the only goal of the contest.
While Tottenham have been more solid in set-pieces this season, Vicario’s latest mistake representing Italy highlighted the lingering concerns regarding the Udine-born shot-stopper.
Tottenham ‘Keeping Close Eye’ on Eze
Premier League clubs scouting Palace star
Tottenham Hotspur are keeping a close eye on Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze, who has a £60m release clause active for next summer, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed.
The 26-year-old forward looked destined to leave Selhurst Park this summer, but never received any concrete offers from elsewhere to switch clubs in the Premier League.
However, with the Eagles struggling so far this term, they could face an uphill battle in convincing Eze to stay any longer next summer, with top-six clubs continuing to monitor his situation.
According to Romano, both Tottenham and Manchester United have been scouting Eze recently – the English international is appreciated around the Premier League and could finally set his sights on a Palace departure after the season.