With the national team facing upcoming matches against Malta and England for the Euro qualifiers, the Italian national team coach speaks out
The championship comes to a halt, and Luciano Spalletti’s national team is back in action. On October 14th and 17th, they will face Malta and England for the Euro 2024 qualifiers.
Luciano Spalletti, who made his debut on the Italian bench with a draw against North Macedonia and a win against Ukraine, spoke at a press conference about the upcoming two matches for Italy. Here are his words:
What is your response to Sarri’s comments about too many international matches for qualifiers?
I have great respect for him; he has feelings for this sport, he loves it. Even when I was a club coach, I was happier if some of my players stayed home, especially those who had long journeys. So, my response to his comments is that we don’t want to send fatigued and injured players back to him but improved ones. Besides, the national team jersey should be important to everyone.
Can you provide an explanation for Immobile’s absence from the squad?
Regarding Immobile, there was a communication from the Lazio medical staff stating that he had a physical issue, and it was uncertain if he would recover in time. I spoke directly with Martuscello and Sarri, who responded with great cooperation. Then, I spoke with the player, and together we decided it was best to let him rest because he also felt the need for it.
What is your idea of the ideal striker for the national team?
In today’s evolved football, the perfect striker needs to have physicality. I already have two such players in Scamacca and Kean. Scamacca might be even cleaner technically in terms of his ball control and quality in tight spaces, while Kean is more physical, bulkier, and can be made available to the team. When I spoke with him during my visit to Allegri, he made a great impression on me with how he talked and embraced the situation. Kean has shown that he can wear the Azzurri jersey.
Is Chiesa a symbol of the national team you are building?
It’s the result of the relationship that needs to be established. Trust is crucial for everything. We want to understand their thoughts and assess consistency. Juventus was not surprised by this call-up; today we have him here, we conducted additional assessments, and there is great collaboration from the Juventus medical staff.
Do you like this season’s championship?
It depends on which game I watch. Finally, in football, we are playing with eleven players, and the goalkeeper is involved too. It’s true that there are some mistakes, but many goals originate from the goalkeeper’s build-up play.”
A comment on Bonaventura:
“Last time, I had a hard time not calling him up. He can play as a trequartista, can operate on the wings, has a great long shot, scores goals, and can make timely runs. He’s our Bellingham…”
