Alessandro Romano chooses Italy over Switzerland

The decision of young midfielder Alessandro Romano to represent Italy instead of Switzerland has sparked significant debate within Swiss football. Despite being born and raised in Winterthur and having participated in Swiss youth selections, the Cagliari player has received UEFA approval to play for the Italian national team.

Pierluigi Tami, head of the Swiss national teams, stated that there is no disappointment regarding the decision, noting that while Switzerland has followed Romano for years, Italy has only become involved in the last year. Tami emphasized that the federation follows a philosophy of meritocracy rather than calling players into the senior squad simply to block them from other nations.

However, former Swiss internationals Valon Behrami and Blerim Džemaili have criticized the Swiss Football Association for negligence. Behrami accused the federation of lacking strategic vision and failing to act during the year to secure the talent, while Džemaili remarked that the national team “has slept” on the matter despite Romano’s obvious potential.