The party, the training, the tactical tests and the recovery of old and new injured people and finally the memory of Gianluca Vialli and Gigi Riva. The first day on the pitch for Luciano Spalletti’s Italy at the Iserlohn headquarters is exciting, where in the afternoon over five thousand fans enlivened the only training session open to the public of the national team in this European Championship with chants, music and mini pitch invasions. which is about to begin. Tactical tests with small and full pitch practice matches in which Nicolò Barella once again did not take part and for which a race against time is expected to recover him in view of the debut against Albania on Saturday 15 June in Dortmund.
A first taste of the pitch on German territory which saw the national team and the Azzurri coach Spalletti pay homage, first on Instagram and then during the inauguration ceremony of Casa Azzurri, to the many Italian supporters who arrived here in the North Rhineland, demonstrating great sense of belonging for their beautiful country. “You are also our number 10!”, wrote the technical commissioner on his social platform, also posting a video with images taken directly from his mobile phone from inside the blue bus upon arrival in Germany yesterday, and then adding evening: “If being ready means having a head full of all those things that are needed to do good for the national team, if it means doing everything to give a warm thank you to all the welcome and all the love that has been given to us surrounds – concluded Spalletti from the stage of Casa Azzurri together with the vice prime minister and foreign minister Antonio Tajani and the president of the FIGC Gabriele Gravina – we are ready”.
Honey words for the Italians in Germany to which were added those of the world champion and head of the Italian delegation Gigi Buffon: “The constant presence and the unconditional affection I think will make us feel like we are playing at home.
In the end the truth is this: when we came in 2006 we had this feeling of playing at home and I think it will be like that in this European Championship too.” Finally, emotion for the memory that Tajani wanted to make in honor of two Italian players who are no longer with us , Gianluca Vialli and Gigi Riva, addressing the 26 Italian players: “Good luck to all of you, but it is right that young people have examples and remember those who are no longer here, I think of Vialli and Gigi Riva, great champions. They were examples not only as athletes but also and above all as men.”
ANSA Agency Euro 2024: tactical tests for Italy, still without Barella – European Championships 2024 – Ansa.it Calafiori deployed in midfield, Frattesi misses the practice match (ANSA) All on a day of celebration in Iserlohn which began on the notes of “Azzurro, the afternoon is too blue and long for me” played by the local band with a performance by Giovanni Zarrella, the most famous Italian singer in Germany with a past also in the youth ranks of Roma of which he is a huge fan.
“Here from Germany we love Italy more. I lived in Rome for a year and a half and I played in Trigoria in the Giallorossi youth team, there they called me the German and instead here in Germany they call me the Italian. For who will the Germans support in Italy and Albania in Dortmund? I think – underlined the author of one of the current hits ‘Fantastico’ – that they have a liking for both countries, but there is a very strong bond between Italy and Germany that has lasted for years sixty when my grandparents also came.”
For the Azzurri, important words also from Jorginho on the commitment that awaits Italy against Albania, Spain and Croatia in group B of Euro 2024: “It’s a difficult group with great teams. It’s a group that will keep us busy, but we will play to the death because we too are a great team. I think it will be a wonderful show for those who love football.”
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