Luciano Spalletti appears hermetic in the press conference on the eve of Italy-Albania, the Azzurri’s debut at Euro 2024. The match is scheduled for Saturday evening in Dortmund and – despite the countdown now coming to an end – the national coach does not release his doubts tactical doubts, mainly regarding the defensive structure. Will Italy play 3 or 4 behind? “We can decide to play with four, but also with three in an offensive manner – says Spalletti -. Then we can also propose the two strikers, but we think we can play with all the attitudes we want. If you can control the game then you decide“. On Barella’s conditions: “We also listen to his sensations, he already had a similar problem and then he developed the race he had to do. What matters a lot is the doctors’ opinion because footballers always want to play. But everything suggests that he will be available“.
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On the rules regarding video games
“Sometimes I regret having to come here to comment on things I didn’t say. What interests me is that we sleep at night, I don’t allow the team to stay awake at night and then arrive at training unrested. That’s all. We created a games room where there are two beautiful PlayStations and I played there too. I didn’t say you can’t play PlayStation, just that you can’t stay up until 3-4 in the morning“.
On the personality of this national team
“We are the protagonists of the dream of every Italian who, as a child, left home with the ball under his arm and returned in the evening with a tired face, a sweaty shirt and scraped knees. We are heroes, giants. Putting everything in also means putting on this bark, this shell and not suffering from the level of the tournament, the setting. Giants and heroes are not afraid to go and play a football match“.
On Scamacca
“He has grown a lot in recent times and we congratulated him. He is complete, he is everything. Then sometimes he also has to compare his performance with that of the others: if I attack the goal ten times I receive five balls, if I do it twenty times I receive it ten times. Then it takes more effort, of course, but everyone does those meters and requires what everyone else in his role does.“.
“We ask the fans to play with us”
“I am convinced that our team will be able to show what it wants to do. Football is a whole that does not only concern the eleven players on the pitch, but also the 60 million fans who we ask to play with us and be on the pitch“.
Albania, the profile of Italy’s opponent: typical formation, star and curiosities
