1.05pm – It’s the day before Italy-Albania. Tomorrow the reigning national champions will make their debut at Euro 2024 in Dortmund against Albania, a match valid for group B. Today there will be a press conference from the BVB Stadion Dortmund Luciano Spallettitechnical commissioner of the Azzurri who will present the match against the Eagles by Sylvinho.
1.55pm – The press conference begins
What are his emotions? Tomorrow will be a tough race
“The emotion from a personal point of view is great, but as the hours go by it becomes more and more an emotion that does not bring tension but happiness, it is a fantastic emotion because yes it is in a wonderful place to play a beautiful match. Then the match is treacherous, I agree. Sylvinho has been very good at creating this team and we play against players who know our football very well and have quality, they have shown it in our championship.”
Donnarumma could be sold by PSG after Safonov’s arrival, what do you think?
“My opinion is that if Donnarumma is let go from PSG he will find a stronger team. I don’t think Donnarumma’s level will drop like this. Then he must be good because in Italy we have very strong goalkeepers, including Vicario and Meret. And ‘It’s all very nice and correct to deal with champions of this level.”
What are your expectations in this tournament? Will he be able to show his football in this European Championship?
“It’s true that sometimes the results are different based on what you bring home, but then the trajectories of the ball are difficult to understand in some moments, there are the results of some matches that are the opposite of what you would have liked the development of the match itself. Always wanting to show your brand of football becomes important, but sometimes there are also opponents and I am convinced that our team will be able to show what football wants to do it’s a whole that doesn’t just concern the eleven players on the pitch, but also the 60 million fans we ask to play with us and be on the pitch.”
Can you tell us about the video game rules given to the team?
“Sometimes I regret having to come here to comment on things I haven’t said. 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 them too. But then they do it at the right times: do you think it’s right to play until 3-4 in the morning? Do you sleep better at night, there are psychoanalysts and doctors who say it. We have to have a correct style, that’s all. I didn’t say that you can’t play PlayStation, but only that you can’t stay up until 3-4 in the morning.”
Is the team ready to face this debut with personality? Who will play in Acerbi’s place?
“First of all, it must be said that 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 grazed knees. We are heroes, of the giants also means putting on this bark, this shell, for a team that does not suffer from the level of the tournament, the giants and the heroes are not afraid of going to play a football match, in these training sessions here we go to breathe all that correct area to put in these things, the ingredients that are needed to be at the level that all Italians want. In Acerbi’s place is he someone who has more experience, experience means having taken more someone else’s decisions. Being forced to decide helps you, but Bastoni can also be a leader. Then people like Buongiorno and Calafiori have the makings of those who want to reach and play at a top level, you can see it in their eyes: they are two. very serious guys. But the truth is that we are dealing with a very serious team, in these few days they showed me the correct job because they are able to perceive and absorb many more things than what happens in a club job. We will be who we want to be.”
TMW – On the first day in Coverciano he said that he would play with a back four against teams that field a striker. Will it be like this tomorrow?
“If I said that, I said something that was misinterpreted. We can also decide to play with a three-man defense, but a three-man defense can be even more offensive. Then I said that we must also take into consideration the possibility of playing with two strikers because Scamacca and Retegui are very strong with Raspadori who can also play as a sub. I think I can play with both positions, positions on the pitch are fundamental if we can control the match. If you can You decide to control the game, but if it becomes a 50/50 match, in all these things about duels and schemes there is no possibility of choosing. It will depend on the cleanliness of the game.”
TMW – Scamacca seemed more aware than a few months ago, do you also have this feeling?
“Scamacca has grown a lot in the last period 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 manage to make so many meters in a match I will probably go I encounter a smaller number of situations than if I made double those metres. 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 those metres everyone does them and what all their equal roles do is required.”
How is Barella? Is it a doubt or will her feelings count more?
“He did everything yesterday, he’ll be there today when he’ll do some training again. You can also listen to his sensations, he’s already had a similar problem and then in that case he developed the race he had to do. What The doctors’ opinion counts a lot because the players always want to play. But everything from last night suggests that he will be available.”
2.45pm – Press conference concluded
