Luciano Spalletti's expression is focused and his words are sharp on the eve of the match that could decide Italy's fate at the next World Cup. Interviewed by Sky Sport before the match against Norway, the Italian coach doesn't shy away, neither from the pressure of the moment nor from the unresolved issues with Francesco Acerbi. "One day he'll explain to me where I disrespected him, and I'll tell him what I think of the respect he had for me and the national team ," Spalletti said bluntly.
Then a scathing quip about Roberto Mancini's social media likes on a tweet criticizing him: "They stole his phone, someone's using it to like him and make him look like he's taking advantage of other people's problems. It happens so often these days, I couldn't believe otherwise." But beyond the personal differences and media skirmishes, the coach's goal remains one: to lead Italy to the World Cup.
"It's a match that could open the doors to a dream for us. There's tension, but that's right, we're happy to play matches like this ," said Spalletti, who also calmly commented on Kean's forced absence: "No one is leaving the training camp, we're 21 and finally I won't have to send anyone to the stands."
In defense, with the current emergency, Spalletti already has clear ideas: Bastoni can move, but the alternatives are Coppola and Rugani. Regarding the former Juve defender, fresh from an excellent season under Farioli, the coach revealed a background story: "I've been following him for a while. Farioli spoke highly of him, and I know his dream was to return to the Azzurri. Now he has his chance."
