« TI love you”. The phone call from his daughter Matilde, 13, was the only moment in the Berlin night when Spalletti managed to smile and felt his heart warm. After returning from Iserlohn, he took refuge in his family’s affections. Lucio has discovered in these hours how hard the job of coach can be. If you win, everyone jumps on the bandwagon. As soon as you lose two games (two in number but heavy in a tournament like the European Championship), you are left alone and they abandon you on the emotional wave of ferocious criticism. The national team is like that. You can’t lose, the prestige of the four stars and the very high expectations weigh, much less the level of decidedly superior opponents (Spain) or on the same level (Switzerland), as demonstrated by the characteristics and careers of certain players. It is a fact, however, that Spalletti failed the European Championship, perhaps betrayed by his own abilities and an excess of confidence. Something went wrong in the athletic preparation (he was looking for superior intensity), the tactical uncertainty and the fluidity of the modules turned out to be a boomerang in the end. The same happened with the forced communication through which he tried to raise the self-esteem of a group lacking in personality. He never took refuge behind alibis and the expectation grew exponentially.
Italy with Spaletti: here are the next commitments
Yet qualifying for the European Championship or progressing from the group was not a given. Only 10 games to get closer, Albania in Dortmund was the eleventh. He paid for his inexperience as a coach and the very short adaptation period. Mancini had arrived at the 2021 European Championship after 32 games. Conte had played 20 before France 2016. Prandelli faced 20 to shape the Italy finalists in Kiev in 2012. A 19-game journey accompanied Donadoni towards the 2008 European Championship. Lippi showed up at the 2006 World Cup after 22 appearances as a coach and tried again in 2010 in South Africa with another 24-game cycle. Spalletti will start again on September 6 at the Parc des Princes with Mbappé’s France and will no longer be able to make mistakes. He is under examination. He must rejuvenate the group and give Italy a clear identity. Results are needed. A very tough task in another tough group that includes Belgium and Israel. The first two qualify for the quarterfinals. A bad defeat in Paris and what would happen? Gravina has reconfirmed his trust, a three-year project is not interrupted, but the elections of November 4 will become a delicate juncture. The renewal of the current governance would strengthen the coach, an upheaval in via Allegri could call into question his mandate, even if it is all relative. Mancini was chosen by Costacurta during the receivership and later renewed his contract with Gravina. Spalletti has a profile and standing adequate for the Azzurri bench, now he must give answers. “Switzerland has brought us back to zero” was the key phrase of his last speech in Iserlohn. After the defeat against Macedonia, Mancini began to plan a recovery plan towards USA 2026. In June in Nations he conceded five goals in Germany with the young Scalvini and Gnonto. All hell broke loose. A bit like now, the same discussions have resurfaced because Lucio has given faith to Fagioli. So what should a coach do?
