Palestra's debut with Italy: "It's a good starting point, thanks to Cagliari for their consistency."

Palestra's journey with Italy began a long time ago. "My first photo was in the Under-15s, at the start of the national team. It was the beginning of everything, then I took a different path. Today I'm here, I'm very happy: I started in Assago, I've come a long way and made a lot of sacrifices . But it's been a wonderful journey, which has just begun in the world of the big boys."

Now the senior national team: "It's a goal we've achieved, it has to be the beginning," says Palestra, who doesn't believe he's arrived yet. " For me, it's the culmination of so many sacrifices, but it has to be just the starting point . In the Under-15s, I was the slowest, perhaps because I was physically behind the others. I had my family by my side, as well as my coaches. I've always wanted to go one-on-one, I never back down."

Palestra also gave his assessment of his season, his first as a starter in Serie A: "It's definitely not easy, but in this world you have to get used to it. There's a lot of pressure, but that's how it should be. I'm very happy with what I'm doing, thanks to Cagliari and the national team. Going to Cagliari was crucial, because I found the consistency I needed . The coach and my teammates in Cagliari were also great, they made me feel at ease and I have to thank them."