After the ill-fated start to Italy football’s campaign, it was a bizarre end. Were the Azzurri, Luciano Spalletti was asked, a Fiat Panda and Switzerland football a Ferrari? “You have to accept everything, even rather tasteless allusions like yours,” said the Italy manager. “You are clearly a wonderful exponent of sarcasm.” With that, he asked his interrogator’s name, smiled and took his leave.
From Euro 2024 but not, seemingly, from the Azzurri job. Italy’s worst European Championships for 20 years will not prompt Spalletti to resign. Rather, his inquest arrowed in on what he believes the failings are in Italian football, the types of players they do not possess and which they need. He did it while claiming he was not picking on the footballers he believes have produced two sub-par performances in a competition that only brought them one win. “There is no blame to anyone, I want to stress this,” he said. “The responsibility for what happens is mine.”
