Fat Grazianiformer striker ofItalia and also of Udinese, commented on the elimination of the Azzurri from the European Championships, which came yesterday in the round of 16 against Switzerland: “The day after it hurts less, you become aware of it, you take note of it. The disappointment is strong, however, I didn’t expect it. In football you can lose, but here there was a real lesson in football and that can only hurt”.
Is there anything left 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 has never been a team, there is no never been an identity. I don’t know how much the changes in formation and men had an impact, usually a 9/11 base always exists. And then the physical aspect: Switzerland made the ball travel. Italy always came second. Unfortunately there was no logic in yesterday’s team.”
Donnarumma the only champion?
“Bastoni, Barella, Chiesa… They could play in all the other national teams. These three, for example, could play in Spain. Apart from these 3-4 names, the others are good players. However, they arrived out of shape: Scamacca is the shadow of the player who made the difference in Atalanta, for example”.
Spalletti?
“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. He must be the right coach, also taking advantage of the mistakes made Luciano absolutely must stay.”
Is there actually a lack of talent in this generation?
“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.”
