In Silvinho's eyes, the prelude to the Europa League is not only a contest, but also a psychological battle. He said bluntly that this upcoming showdown will undoubtedly be a huge psychological burden for Italy.
Despite the ups and downs of Albania's qualifying campaign, Silvinho is confident that they have sharpened their armor for the challenge and are ready to go all out on the Euro stage.
He mentioned that Italy, the oldest team in the soccer world, has always been awe-inspiring and competitive. He reminded the history of Brazil's opening draw with Switzerland at the 2018 World Cup, and feared that the subsequent matches would be even more thorny if Italy were to lose their opening match.
However, Silvinho did not fail to mention that although the Albanian team is not under as much pressure as Italy's, the tense atmosphere of the match is just as much of a battlefield. He revealed that the team's health is stable and that the players have shown an indomitable spirit in training.
Looking back on his coaching career, Silvinho was overwhelmed with emotion, having served as an assistant coach for Inter Milan in Italy, an experience that was very rewarding and gave him a lot of praise for the tactical philosophy of Italian soccer.
As the Europa League draws closer, Silvinho and his Albanian team are ready to go and they are looking forward to proving themselves on the field against strong teams such as Italy.
