The Italian striker spoke at a press conference three days before the match against Switzerland valid for the round of 16 of Euro 2024
Three days before the challenge with the Swissvalid for the round of 16 at Euro 2024, to speak at a conference directly from the training campItaly was Stephen El Shaarawy. The Giallorossi striker returned to talk about the match that was drawn at the end against the Croatia which earned the qualification: “It was a great emotionthat goal gives you great joy and awareness that this team never dies, scoring goals in injury time is not just luck but one that has quality. It wasn’t a quality match, but there was great commitment from everyone: it was a well-deserved qualification.”
Due to its qualities, Italy is a team underestimated? El Shaarawy responds like this: “There is great expectation and pressure because we are a strong team that can go all the way, we are reigning champions. We have a great responsibility. But this team is made up of great men who know how to suffer and rejoice together, I think we are a national team of great quality that can do well. We showed it in the first game, in the other two we could have done better quality And courage but it is a team that can have its say and be a protagonist in this European Championship.”
In recent days there has been a lot of talk about game system used by the Azzurri. El Shaarawy clarifies: “What the coach asks of us is to try to phrasing a lot, and then move on to the exteriors. Something we missed against Croatia, where the wingers were always free and with one less pass we could find them immediately. But we always tried to do what the coach asked of us.” The Giallorossi striker is enjoying a great season ductility on a tactical level: “I’m always ready to do a bit of everything, the coach tested me in training winger high left and right, midfield quarter, fifth. I adapted to his needs, as I did in the past with Roma, but I know that even by playing little the players can be decisive, as Zaccagni was in the last match. With my conscience I feel good because I’m working to make myself available. Playing 3-a-side? Whether it’s a 3 or a 4, for me it honestly makes little difference, in the sense that I, being a winger, am definitely better off in a 4-3-3. More than the module, we should talk about How we approach the race, how we face it, how we go on the pitch, how we go one-on-one. In my opinion we can improve a lot in that. I see Spalletti as charged up in the right way, he’s demanding because he demands as much as he should.”
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Despite a less than brilliant start, we must not forget that Italy remains a fearsome team. Thought that El Shaarawy also espouses: “In my opinion no team is happy to play against Italy because we have seen that he has a footballing history, he is the reigning champion and it is never easy to play against us. We saw it against Croatia, they are a team that doesn’t give up and that tries to score goals and always impose themselves with their game. We also tried to do it against Spain, aware that we could encounter difficulties, then they were better. But our ambition must be: play openly against all the national teams. We will do the same against Switzerland too, our goal is to get to the end“.
