Verona survive—and now their rising star gets Italy call-up | OneFootball

Diego Coppola described a wave of relief and pride after Hellas Verona confirmed their Serie A status for another season with a 2-1 victory over Empoli. Speaking in the immediate aftermath, the 21-year-old defender summed up both the tension and determination that ran through the club’s campaign, stating, “It’s an incredible feeling. This is my fourth survival with the senior squad and it was almost as tough as the play-off one. We were never in the relegation zone; we didn’t deserve to go down. There were other teams who did much worse, and we performed better than them. It’s right that we’ve stayed up, especially for our supporters—they’re the kind of fans any team would envy halfway through the season.”

Despite frequent turbulence throughout the year, Verona managed to avoid dropping into the bottom three and ultimately finished above the relegation places. Coppola’s perspective echoed the mood inside the camp: a sense of accomplishment after weathering difficult spells and criticism, while never losing sight of the ultimate objective—preserving the club’s top-flight status.

Adding further to his personal satisfaction, Coppola’s steadfast performances have now earned him his first call-up to Italy’s senior national team. The centre-back has been named in the 27-man squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers, with the Azzurri set to face Norway in Oslo on 6 June before hosting Moldova in Reggio Emilia three days later. The selection is likely to be seen within the club as both a reward for Coppola’s maturity under pressure and as a testament to the faith Verona has shown in its younger players.

After a season that prompted plenty of soul-searching and demanded resilience, Verona’s players and coaching staff have taken particular pride in achieving survival before the final whistle of the campaign sounded across the league. As Coppola observed, the unity within the squad and the unwavering backing of the supporters were critical in steering the club clear of danger once again.

Looking ahead, Coppola’s breakthrough into Roberto Mancini’s Italy set-up serves as a glowing endorsement of his development at club level, and offers further encouragement to the Verona camp as preparations begin for yet another season in the top tier.

Source: Tutto Hellas Verona, L'Arena