Marco Verratti said Wednesday he wants to take the opportunity this week to establish himself as the successor to Italy great Andrea Pirlo.
The 22-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder is likely to start for the Azzurri against Bulgaria in Sofia in a Euro 2016 qualifier as Juventus star Pirlo and AS Roma’s Daniele De Rossi have been left out of the squad by coach Antonio Conte.
“I’m going to make the most of this opportunity,” vowed Verratti.
“It’s normal not to start out as first choice in the national team, it could hardly be any different when you have players like Pirlo and De Rossi ahead of you in the reckoning.”
Pirlo is injured while De Rossi has been in poor form recently. Verratti had largely been overlooked by Conte until now.
“I’m starting to understand what Conte expects from me and I’m trying to put it into practice,” added Verratti, who has scored two goals in 10 Italy appearances.
Verratti, though, is wary of being seen as the new Pirlo and having the hopes of a nation piled on his young shoulders.
“It’s difficult to replace a player such as Pirlo,” he said.
“But don’t say it’s up to me to take Italy’s destiny in my hands. If you’re not (Diego) Maradona or (Lionel) Messi, the national team cannot be just one person.”
After their Group H clash in Sofia, Italy will host England in a friendly in Turin on March 31.
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
The Cairo Statement
1: Commit to countering all types of terrorism and extremism in all their manifestations
2: Denounce violence and the rhetoric of hatred
3: Adhere to the full compliance with the Riyadh accord of 2014 and the subsequent meeting and executive procedures approved in 2014 by the GCC
4: Comply with all recommendations of the Summit between the US and Muslim countries held in May 2017 in Saudi Arabia.
5: Refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of countries and of supporting rogue entities.
6: Carry out the responsibility of all the countries with the international community to counter all manifestations of extremism and terrorism that threaten international peace and security
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