The journalist Xavier Jacobelli spoke to TMW Radio during the Maracanà broadcast, commenting on Italy’s qualification for the EURO 2024 round of 16. Here are his statements:
“Italy, difficult qualification:
“The overall opinion? The balance is positive, given that it is measured on the basis of a qualification for the round of 16 which was not so obvious. It was one of the most difficult groups on paper. Obviously everything can be improved. We don’t have a basic team, as they say the three different teams lined up. Spalletti’s task is difficult, because the current technical quality is not that of the best times, but that said, this is the group he chose. However, some players had an inadequate psychological approach against Spain they had to have a different approach, low pace. With all due respect to Jorginho, but if Fagioli shows you superior pace then he must play now, a great team as seen against Germany, you need a national team that finally understands that he has to impose his game. Too many backward passes and missed verticalisations. A change of pace is needed.”
What to add?
“Controversies belong to the history of any national team. In England, Southgate is also on the gridiron, almost as if he were away with England, the whole world is one country. Now we have to start again from qualifying for the round of 16. Switzerland is a solid, organised, which draws its lifeblood from Bologna who did very well with Motta. Germany suffered a lot but they are not unbeatable. I believe that this time until the match will be very important, I believe Spalletti will put a team that knows how to fight from the start end. Calafiori? We forget what he suffered at 16 with that terrible injury, and he had the strength to start again.
