Interviewed by TMW, former striker Francesco Graziani had his say on Italy’s elimination against Switzerland yesterday: “The day after it hurts less, you become aware of it, you take note of it. The disappointment is strong, I didn’t expect it. In football you can lose, but here there was a real lesson in football and that can only hurt”.
What is saved from yesterday?
“There was nothing good, a team at the mercy of itself. We were never in the game, we created little or nothing. Unfortunately, we will only remember one thing about this national team: it was never a team, there was never an identity. I don’t know how much the changes in formation and players had an impact, usually a base of 9/11 always exists. Perhaps it created insecurity. And then the physical aspect: Switzerland made the ball travel and Italy always came in second. Unfortunately, there was no logic in yesterday’s team”.
Is Donnarumma the only star player on this team?
“Bastoni, Barella, Chiesa… They could play for all the other national teams. These three, for example, could play for Spain. Apart from these 3-4 names, the others are good players. But they arrived out of form: Scamacca is the shadow of the player who made the difference in Atalanta, for example.”
Are Spalletti responsible?
“We consider coaches too important, we give them too many merits and too many demerits. He has certainly made mistakes, even in terms of concept. I’m thinking of the 5 defenders placed against Spain. But then there are the players. In any case, I would have insisted with a formation with identity, I think of Chiesa who plays and doesn’t play, of Frattesi who first plays and then goes into oblivion. In my opinion, this non-identity may have created some negative situations in the team.”
Can Spalletti still be the right coach?
“He must be the right coach, also taking advantage of the mistakes made. Luciano absolutely must stay.”
Is there a lack of talent? Should Serie A help the national team?
“The problem is that 80% of the players in Serie A are foreigners. There are too many. Italians are only 20% and if we don’t give strength to our movement, to our youth sectors and to our trainers it’s a problem, not we’re going nowhere. Many of our kids are lost. Even in the second teams there are 6-7 foreigners. Two years ago Lecce won the Primavera championship with 11 foreigners on the pitch… We won a lot at youth level, but of the boys who have won with the Under 19s, how many are playing in Serie A? At 19-20 years old you are already a football player.”
