Sebastian Giovinco & Top 10 Bench-Rotting Serie A Talents

10) Inacio Pia (Napoli) – A very gifted Brazilian frontman, who seems to light up pre-season year after year but then, for one reason or another, is just shifted aside when the campaign starts. This has happened once again this time around, as faced by the competition of Ezequiel Lavezzi, German Denis and Marcelo Zalayeta, Inacio Pia has been afforded just two Serie A starts, as well as five substitute cameos.

9) Franco Semioli (Fiorentina) – Was a feature of the Italy national team squad for a short while under Roberto Donadoni, and is perhaps best remembered for starting against France in a 3-1 Euro 2008 qualifying defeat in Paris. Last season he was a regular for Fiorentina, but this term he has been completely frozen out, making just four appearances. Has been linked with a January move to Roma.

8) Nicolae Dica (Catania) – An extremely talented playmaker, who was tipped for great things earlier in his career. The 28-year-old finally left his homeland of Romania this summer to join Catania, but his time in Sicily has been nothing short of a disaster. He has played just twice in Serie A, one of these from the beginning, and it has already been announced that he will be allowed to leave in January.

7) Bosko Jankovic (Genoa) - The Serbian was rated as one of the best young talents in Europe when he joined Palermo from Mallorca last summer, however he struggled to settle in Sicily, and was hoping that a loan move to Genoa at the end of August would kick-start his Italian career. However, it has been much of the same this season for the 24-year-old attacking midfielder, as he has appeared just once from the start, and four times from the bench.

6) Giampaolo Pazzini (Fiorentina) – Famously became the first player to score a hat-trick at the new Wembley Stadium in 2006/07, playing for the Italy Under-21 team against England. Following this game, Pazzini was hailed by many as the future of the Azzurri attack, but his development has stalled, if not regressed. Last year he was often kept out of the team by veteran Christian Vieri, and this season he has barely got a sniff following the signing of Alberto Gilardino. Will surely consider leaving for the benefit of his career – Roma, Lazio, Sampdoria and Atalanta have all been linked.

5) Pablo Osvaldo (Fiorentina) – Yet another of the wasted Fiorentina brigade, which just shows how much unused attacking talent there is at the Stadio Franchi. Osvaldo scored some crucial goals last season, including a brilliant bicycle kick winner on the final day at Torino that secured La Viola Champions League football. His reward has been a nice cosy place on the substitutes bench. The 22-year-old has made just six appearances, two of these starts.

4) Victor Obinna (Inter) – This player has no one to blame but himself. Obinna was so desperate to leave Chievo this summer that he accepted a move to a place which was so full of attackers that they are literally growing out of the Stadio Meazza pitch. A loan move to Everton fell through on the last minute of deadline day, and the result was Obinna keeping Hernan Crespo company on the bench. The Nigerian is one of Africa’s best young players, and he illustrated just how talented he is during a rare substitute appearance at Roma where he scored a rocket of a goal.

3) Andriy Shevchenko (Milan) – There are some people who believe that Shevchenko will still make a partial success of his return to Milan, and I will not completely rule it out. However, from what we have seen so far, this is looking unlikely. Although Sheva has featured heavily in the UEFA Cup, he has barely been given a chance in Serie A, with just one start against Genoa (during which he was hauled off at half time), and six substitute scraps.

2) Hernan Crespo (Inter) – Another former goal machine who has not hit the back of the net this season. Crespo has made just three brief substitute appearances in Serie A, and was humiliatingly left off Jose Mourinho’s squad list for the Group Stages of the Champions League. If I have done my Maths correctly, Crespo has appeared on the pitch for just 78 minutes this campaign. A possible move to Real Madrid awaits during the transfer window.

1) Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus) – There was only ever going to be one winner in this contest – Sebastian Giovinco. The 21-year-old fantasista has been hailed by many as the future of Italian football, and the heir at Juventus to legendary symbol Alessandro Del Piero. Unfortunately, it appears as if coach Claudio Ranieri is doing his very best to compromise the starlet’s development. Giovinco has started just twice in Serie A, as well as making four paltry substitute appearances, often in the closing moments in games. Even when Juve have had little to play for, such as during the match with Zenit in midweek, Ranieri has still opted to let Giovinco rot on the bench. The youngster is now said to be seriously considering his future with the Bianconeri.