Alpha Cisse's Rise at Milan: Senior Italy Call-Up Delayed

Alpha Cisse has lit a spark at Milan this season, but his breakthrough with the senior Italy side will have to wait.

The 19-year-old has made a habit of announcing himself in Turin. Both of his goals for the Rossoneri have come there: first against Torino, when he struck the opening goal of the campaign, then again versus Juventus, finding the net from almost the same patch of grass after stepping off the bench. Same city, same angle, same ruthless finish.

Those moments inevitably fuelled talk of a rapid rise. With two caps already for Italy’s U21s, the idea of Cisse jumping straight into Roberto Mancini’s senior squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures suddenly felt realistic, even symbolic — a sign that the Azzurri were ready to accelerate change.

Not this time.

MilanNews report that Mancini is tracking Cisse closely. Technical director Claudio Ranieri is also following his progress and wants a longer look at him. The interest is real, the door clearly open.

But the call, for now, is not.

Instead of joining the senior Italy squad, Cisse will once again report for U21 duty during the international break, as they face Poland and Armenia. It is a sensible step on paper, another rung on the ladder for a teenager still at the start of his career.

Still, the decision lingers.

A senior call-up now would have carried weight. It would have signalled that Italy are ready to move decisively away from old habits, to reward form and fearlessness without delay. Cisse’s omission undercuts that message and leaves a lingering frustration around what might have been a bold statement.

His time with the Azzurri will almost certainly come. The question is whether Italy can afford to wait for the future when it is already scoring in Turin.