Silvio Baldini says long-term plans with the Italy national team are secondary after guiding a youthful Azzurri to narrow friendly wins over Luxembourg and Greece, stressing personal satisfaction in helping emerging players and playing down any concern over whether the interim spell becomes permanent.

Those victories both ended 1-0, with Francesco Pio Esposito scoring in each match. The line-up against Luxembourg was Italy’s youngest since December 1912, underlining how bold the selection was after Gennaro Gattuso’s dismissal, which followed Italy failing to reach a third straight World Cup.

Baldini stepped up from Italy under-21 head coach to manage the senior side on an interim basis. The appointment came directly after Gattuso’s exit. Asked whether the role for September’s Nations League campaign may remain his, Baldini again moved attention towards the squad’s development.

When questioned about returning to the under-21s after beating Greece, or staying with the senior Italy national team, Baldini replied: “It doesn’t matter to me. I simply wanted to be useful. I am part of the Italy family. I coached these matches because I wanted my players to be appreciated for what they have achieved with me.”

Some pundits suggested Baldini should remain in charge, yet other names are strongly linked. Antonio Conte appears the main candidate to take over the Italy national team, while an ambitious approach for former Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has also been reported as a possible alternative.

Baldini responded calmly when told that sections of the media want continuity under current leadership. He said: “Thank you, but what matters to me is doing my job well. Unfortunately, in football, people are quick to put labels on you. I believe the best response to those labels is what these boys have shown on the pitch. I’m not someone who came out of nowhere. Fate brought me here, but the journey has been difficult.”

The interim coach also detailed how discipline shapes progress for this Italy national team group. Baldini said: “I know the value of these players, Baldini said. When young players understand that having rules is a resource rather than a punishment, they have reached the level of maturity needed to become an important team. Now they just need to keep growing. I was hoping we would get a little bit of luck as well, because luck matters in all aspects of life. I wanted them to gain confidence from this experience. Having rules and a proper lifestyle is not a punishment.”

Inter striker Esposito emerged as the main attacking reference for the Italy national team during this window. Still only 20, Esposito scored in both fixtures and was one of the most experienced names in a squad otherwise dominated by players yet to earn a senior cap.

Euro 2020 winner Gianluigi Donnarumma captained the Italy national team side and supported the less familiar faces. Baldini included 21 uncapped players across the squad for Luxembourg and Greece, using the friendlies as a testing ground while still delivering results that should build trust and self-belief.

Esposito’s impact also carried strong historical weight for the Italy national team. The forward is only the fourth player to score in each of a first three Italy starts, matching records set by Omar Enrique Sivori, Riccardo Carapellese and Annibale Frossi across different eras.

Esposito now has five goals for the Italy national team, ranking behind only Giuseppe Meazza, who scored 11 times for Italy before turning 21. That statistic underlines why Baldini is eager to observe how this generation continues to grow after a demanding yet successful introduction.

The Italy national team exits this international window with two wins, a record-setting young line-up and a coach who stresses discipline and collective maturity, while the federation still weighs up permanent options such as Conte or Guardiola ahead of September’s Nations League fixtures.