Caretaker Baldini turns to youth to spark reset of Italian football

May 29 (Reuters) - Interim Italy coach Silvio Baldini has turned to a youth-first approach for his tenure, selecting a squad of almost entirely uncapped players on Friday as the team prepares for upcoming friendly matches while they miss out on the World Cup.

Baldini, who has stepped up from under-21 manager following Gennaro Gattuso's resignation after a World Cup qualifying playoff defeat by Bosnia and Herzegovina in March, named his 24-man squad in an attempt to start a reset in Italian football.

"I've seen a lot of fans cheering because they've seen a change, but I'm not doing it to show off," the 67-year-old said. "The message is clear: Italian football wants to see change. I'm convinced that the boys will do very well."

Baldini targeted the culture of Serie A clubs, which he blamed for stifling the development of domestic talent by preferring short-term market gains over academy products.

"Italian football is in the hands of directors who think about their own interests and not about the growth of the game," he said.

"Where is the advantage in signing a 39-year-old player instead of finding one in the academy? Youngsters bring enthusiasm, rhythm, speed. The older players tend to manage their efforts and attack less.

"At youth level, the national teams have always done well, but the problem is always the jump to the senior team. We need to let them play, but it's not a problem for the federation, it's a problem for the clubs," he added.

Italy will play Luxembourg on Wednesday and then have a fixture against Greece on June 7.

(Reporting by Tommy Lund in GdanskEditing by Christian Radnedge)