The narrow defeat against Macedonia in March 2022 still hurts in
Italy
.
That result sentenced the last European champion to watch the World Cup in Qatar on television.
But, with the arrival of
Luciano Spalletti
in mid-2023 to the national team bench, the mentality changed.
This is how the coach himself explained it.
Through an extensive interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, the coach warned that he is not "satisfied" with what he sees today.
"I need to build a strong team, I'm not satisfied with anything. I want to win the European Championship and then I want to win the World Cup. Then we can leave immediately, but the speeches I give to the team are the ones that all Italians expect:
we are going to Germany to win, "not to participate. Our history requires it
, "
he began by saying.
This year the Euro 2024 will be held in Germany and Italy is the defending champion.
Luciano Spalletti's team will share Group C with Albania, Spain and Croatia.
The tournament will be played from June 14 to July 14 and the Azzurra will debut on June 15 against the Albanians, in Dortmund.
The former Napoli, Inter and Roma -among others- explained that, to achieve the goal he has in mind, the first step will be to change the team's habits.
"From now on they leave the PlayStations at home and no longer bring them
," asked the coach.
Spalletti in the duel against Malta for the qualifiers towards Euro 24. REUTERS/Alessandro Garofalo
The answer continued:
"I will invent a little game for them to think about to distract themselves at night.
They come to see me and I give them homework to do at night if the day's homework is not enough
. Because in the national team you stay on track." "He concentrates, he doesn't waste time. I repeat the All Blacks slogan: 'There are no dicks here
. '"
The question they asked Spalletti after his stance on the PlayStation
"Do players have to leave anything else at home besides the PlayStation? Are cell phones allowed in the locker room?"
, they consulted the coach, who was firm in his position of preventing video games in the concentrations.
Spalletti wants Italy's players to be focused on the games.
(EFE)
"I have to put up with cell phones, but they can't be left on the massage table or during treatments. I talked about video games because there were things I didn't like. I want to relive the gatherings and retreats of the past: old customs and environments. Simple and healthy. And Buffon will help me in this.
If modernity is playing the PlayStation until 4 in the morning when there is a game the next day, then modernity is not right
, "
he said.
For this reason, after making his position clear and accusing some players of their attitudes, the coach made a forceful statement:
"The national team comes to win the Euro Cup, not to win Call of Duty
. "