Italy manager Luciano Spalletti has made known his commitment to improve The Blues following their Euro 2024 Round of 16 elimination on Sunday. Of course, that is if he keeps is job.
The former Napoli boss is quick to add that it is hard to find players of the level and quality of former internationals Leonardo Bonucci & Giorgio Chiellini, highlighting Italy’s shortage of personality and class.
“Yesterday’s match brings us back to zero, in future choices I will try to rejuvenate the squad, paying attention to the lack of personality. They didn’t give me the answers I was looking for. We need new strength and energy, we go and get the players from low, the young people.”, Spalletti said a day after his team’s 2-0 defeat to the Swiss.
He continued:
“Since I stay here, in the future this will be done even more”, explained the Italian coach. “It’s clear that players of the level of Chiellini and Bonucci are difficult to find. Then we saw that by trusting Calafiori there is potential that comes through the game.”, the 65-year old trainer added.
José Mourinho once said of the Italian duo who built a solid partnership at both the club and national team level:
“Leonardo Bonucci & Giorgio Chiellini: they could go to Harvard University to give classes on how to be a central defender.”
Spalletti did a fine job at Napoli, winning the Serie A in 2022/23 before taking over the Italian national team managerial role in August 2023 following the departure of Roberto Mancini.
He penned a three-year contract and is expected to lead the rebuilding as the four-time World Cup winners eye seek to bounce back at the international stage during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
“It wasn’t my most complicated night, in my life I have had many difficult nights for love and passion,” added Spalletti.
“We knew we had a group with maximum difficulties. We expected to have more reaction, up until the qualification there was a different adaptation in the matches from what we saw yesterday. We are disappointed and responsible for what we saw.” “Dialogue with the team? Every day I met with the team.”
“Dialogue is fundamental, I spoke head to head and to the team. I didn’t give too many instructions, I did my job 100%. I didn’t leave pass nothing. I changed and brought in fresher people, it’s an analysis I have to do to answer the question.”, the former AS Roma manager said.
“I’m disappointed in yesterday’s match because I didn’t see the reaction, even with Spain at the end there were scrums in which we could have scored. Yesterday I didn’t see this anger to go and challenge an opponent other than Spain. We did too little”, added the coach.
“The mood in the team during the European Championship? It was perfect, the right reflection on the importance of the tournament. From the beginning we have always said the same thing, that a healthy and solid group was being born. Everyone was very close and joked every evening in the hotel’s games room.”
Meanwhile the president of the Italian Football Federation Gabriele Gravina says the federation has not intention of sacking Spalletti because they believe in him.
“I don’t know whether the blue shirt could become a burden, but given what happened yesterday we will try to get some answers. For example, yesterday before the match we asked who didn’t feel like taking a penalty. Several held their arms down, showing that they didn’t want to beat him.”
“We are sorry for not having been able to give the fans the joy they deserve. We are sorry for the result being subject to so many variables. What unfortunately remains is the disappointment of not having been able to demonstrate everything that has been done”, said the president of the Football Federation Gabriele Gravina on the day after Italy’s elimination from the European Football Championships.
“There is disappointment in the inability to react to objective limits with a different reaction, a disappointment that we must reflect on. Yesterday we all made the reflection together, dividing our responsibilities, we are all responsible”.
“I spoke with Spalletti last night: it makes no sense to interrupt a multi-year project that only started eight months ago.” The FIGC president locks down coach Luciano Spalletti in the aftermath of Italy’s disaster at the European Championship.”
“We have faith in him, in sixty days we will be back on the pitch and it makes no sense to think that by changing the project an Mbappe will emerge in two months.”
“I don’t run away from responsibility. Criticism hurts, instrumental criticism linked to a request for resignation. Constructive criticism does not, it must be listened to. There is no way anyone can govern our world from the outside, this applies to politics and to everyone else in the world. asking for the resignation of both Gravina and Spalletti exists”, said Gravina, explaining that “the FIGC elections cannot be held before the Olympics, we will do it at the first available date. Yes, but let’s make them constructive”.
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