As a child he loved Charles and Sivori: together (obviously) with basketball, Dino Meneghin was crazy about the Juventus champions: two passions that have always traveled hand in hand in his life («I tried to play soccer, but I plowed the field with my feet – he recalled in an interview – However, we often played in the gym during the warm-up with a deflated ball. I remember that D’Antoni was very strong, as were all the little guys, while we big guys tried to make do»). Even at the beginning of his career in Varese, given the proximity between the gym and the stadium, he often went with his teammates to watch the first half of home games, while the players peeked out into the stands in the last quarter of their matches on the parquet. So a friendship was also born with the former bomber Pietro Anastasi, who after two excellent seasons in Varese, landed in Turin. Interviewed exclusively by Virgilio Sport, Meneghin tells how he experienced the defeat of Spalletti’s national team at Euro 2024.
Four Olympic Games behind him as a player (including a silver medal in Moscow 1980), a gold medal and two bronze medals at the European Championships, 272 appearances with the National Basketball Team, Meneghin knows what it means to wear the blue uniform in important competitions. What is your opinion of Italy’s failure in Germany?
“As an Italy fan, obviously I was disappointed, there was great anticipation but it went badly. It means that you have to work hard, you have to be prepared for these events, there are no longer any weak teams or predictable results, even the other national teams are growing and it has been seen”
Did you see the match against Switzerland?
“Only partly true”
Did she also change channels like many Italians disappointed by the performance of the Azzurri?
“I only saw one half, I won’t go into technical-tactical issues but I was struck by seeing a team that was physically tired, not very reactive, slow in offensive and defensive movements”
How can such a flop be explained?
“I won’t touch on the call-ups, it’s not up to me but I think Spalletti has had little time to make his game understood and prepare the team. A winning team can’t be improvised in a jiffy, it takes time to work well”
You have been a player, manager and federal president: is it difficult to move from the role of coach to that of national coach?
“I think Spalletti has the experience needed to be a coach, it’s obviously a different job. You don’t see the players every day”
Was he right not to resign?
“It depends on the agreements he had with the FIGC, if the commitment was medium-long term it is right that it continues”
Medium-long term up to a certain point, there are the World Cup qualifiers upon us and failing to qualify for the World Cup for the third time would be a sporting tragedy for a national team that has won the World Cup 4 times.
“History is fine and it is right to honor it but on the pitch the trophy cabinet is not there, every time you start from scratch and everything always changes: condition, form, quality count”
Spalletti wants to start again from the youth
“I agree, we need to renew the team. Of course it is not easy for young players to emerge in Serie A with so many foreigners, you need to be patient”
Many expected Gravina to resign as well: you who were the federal president, what responsibility do you have when a national team fails an important appointment?
“When you lose it’s everyone’s fault, just as when you win it’s everyone’s merit, if Gravina is there it means they elected him, then it’s clear that like everyone else he is tied to the results but I’m convinced that this Italy will return to fight and surprise”
Where do we start again?
“I say from Gigio Donnarumma, the cornerstone will be our goalkeeper, he saved almost everything. He is someone who gives security, a real shutter. The new Italy must start again from him”
