On the eve of Italy's upcoming UEFA Europa League group stage match against Belgium, national team manager Luciano Spalletti attended a press conference to give his thoughts on the squad, tactics and the situation of the opponents.
Speaking about defender Carafiore, Spalletti said, "He's good at being in the right place, even if he runs the same distance as everyone else, a trait that makes him stand out. He took on important responsibilities and showed great maturity despite his youth. His experience in other positions on the pitch also makes him more versatile. It's always good to have a team that has order and balance, and he has to do what he's responsible for before he can make a difference."
As for the second striker position, Spalletti sees opportunities for both Pellegrini and Raspadoli: "In that position we want a player who knows how to do a lot of things. Both Pellegrini and Raspadoli have the ability to create an advantage that will allow us to control part of the game. Tomorrow, Pellegrini will start."
Spalletti also revealed that the fighting spirit in the team is very strong: "I see the same fighting spirit that I saw against France a month ago, and in fact it has become even stronger in the players who have already played in last month's game. This team is a sign of our future, they are united as friends and want to help each other. I expect a lot from these players, they are full of energy and desire."
Speaking about the Belgian team, Spalletti said, "Belgium have players who play in the strongest teams in Europe, they have a fast attacking line with technical strength and muscular speed. They have a very good coach, ranked sixth by FIFA, and those ahead of them are giants. We have to be very careful tomorrow, knowing that the opponent is very strong."
On the issue of Italian players going to play abroad, Spalletti believes it's vital: "We care about international and European soccer and it's important for us to have players who understand that atmosphere. They are able to explain to us what we will face in these matches."
Speaking about the formation and player selection, Spalletti said, "We didn't sacrifice anyone and we didn't want to stifle anyone. Zakani himself proposed not to call him up because he has some problems that need to be solved. For young players such as Rovera, their performances on the pitch proved to us that they are good, but we favored two other youngsters who also performed well. For the formation, we are also continuing the 3-5-2 because we have a lot of strong players who play in this tactical system."
Finally, Spalletti spoke about youngster Daniele Maldini: "I have a lot of praise for him. He's the kind of player we're missing, with the body structure and turning agility that we lack. He's elegant, strong in open areas and tight spaces, and has a great shot. However, he still needs to grow in the traits department. If a change needs to be made on the offensive side of the ball and he's needed on the field, I wouldn't hesitate to play him."
