By Trevor Stynes
LEIPZIG, Germany (Reuters) – For Italy’s media, the 1-1 draw with Croatia on Monday which sent them through to the last 16 of Euro 2024 was a miracle, but despite the euphoria of a late equaliser, manager Luciano Spalletti appeared far from happy.
The defending champions were 1-0 down going into the final minute of added time, a result that would have left them waiting to see if they would progress in the tournament, before substitute Mattia Zacagni’s goal salvaged a draw.
At Spalletti’s post-match press conference he responded angrily to one reporter asking if his 3-5-2 formation was the result of a pact with his players.
“In my opinion, this is what you were told,” Spalletti said, before asking the reporter his age.
“Fifty-one, you still have 14 years before you get to 65 like me. I speak to the players, I need to hear with their ears and see with their eyes, so I talk to them, what is the problem?”
At the reporter’s insistence that nobody had told him about a pact, Spalletti repeated his idea that someone had spoken out of turn.
“But don’t claim that this is your poetic licence, this is just a weakness of those who leak things,” Spalletti said.
“There is an internal environment and an external one and if in the internal environment there are those who speak of certain things outside, it’s someone who harms the national team.
“I did my thesis at Coverciano on the 3-5-2. I’ll let you see it later, so it’s only natural that I speak to the players.”
Italy came into the game with Croatia knowing a draw would guarantee a place in the last 16, and despite leaving it so late to secure qualification, fear is not something which concerns Spalletti.
“What kind of question is it, what if we get knocked out? Am I afraid? What am I afraid of? Otherwise I would have just come here like you guys and watched the games,” Spalletti said.
“I would have done another job. I know so many people they would have given me a free ticket. It’s only natural that there’s pressure and responsibility, but we go out there to play.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport went with the headline “Italian Miracle”, and said the Azzurri were saved not only by Zaccagni’s moment of magic but also keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s fine saves.
La Stampa went with the same headline, and called Zaccagni “an accidental hero of a bad game”, while La Repubblica said the “Azzurri reached the last 16 by the skin of their teeth”.
Italy face Switzerland in the last 16 on Saturday.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes, Additional reporting by William Schomberg, editing by Ed Osmond)
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