On the eve of Italy’s Nations League match against France, national team coach Luciano Spalletti addressed the media, reflecting on the team’s preparation and the challenges ahead. Speaking to the official FIGC channels, Spalletti expressed cautious optimism while emphasizing the need for improvement following Italy’s disappointing performance at Euro 2024.
Spalletti began on a positive note, stating, “I’ve seen good things during training. I’ve seen participation, willingness, and confidence in what we’re going to do, which are very important values. They’ve given me my first smile since the Euros.”
Addressing the importance of the Nations League, Spalletti stressed, “We can’t afford to underestimate anything, especially after the poor figure we cut. There were and are things to change. We need to restore this confidence in ourselves and show it to the fans so they can have faith in us.”
When discussing the upcoming match against France, Spalletti acknowledged the challenge, saying, “France has players of the highest level. We must be careful and always play as a team because counterattacks can be very dangerous.” He specifically addressed the challenge of marking Mbappé, emphasizing, “We need to be a team, with everyone’s help and the attitude of the whole squad to understand the phases of the game.”
Spalletti concluded with a message of determination, stating, “I don’t need to leave any message for the fans; I need to show what I’ve said. We’ve already talked too much. Now it’s time to show our pride in wearing this shirt after having cut a poor figure.”
