(ANSA) – ISERLOHN, JUNE 16 – “As soon as we conceded the goal last night in that unexpected way, I was reminded of exactly what happened to me in 1978. I immediately told the friends with whom I was watching the match not to worry , because this match ends well, we win it.” On the phone with ANSA, Renato Zaccarelli recalls all the similarities of the comeback victory on his debut, at Argentina ’78, with that of Spalletti’s Italy last night in Dortmund against Albania: in both cases the Azzurri suffered a lightning goal and then they came back. “Just like what happened to us many years ago in Mar del Plata – recalls ‘Zac’, speaking of Lecombe’s goal after 1′ – we also reacted but not as instantly as Spalletti’s Italy did last night. Just like then, when I noticed the goal as I was about to sit on the bench, last night I noticed the goal conceded by Italy, which came unexpectedly, while I was preparing to sit on the sofa with the friends with whom I watched the match immediately at a disadvantage – adds the former Torino player – as then we had opportunities to equalize and we did so.
Yesterday Italy even managed to overturn it in a quarter of an hour. We only scored in the second half with my goal (to make it 2-1, ed.) after Rossi’s in the first half. Another analogy is the surprise presence of Calafiori at the center of the defense like that of Rossi then at the center of the attack.” “How do I see Spalletti’s Italy? Starting with a positive result is a lot of stuff, now we meet Spain who have always been a very fearsome team – concludes Zaccarelli – Facing them with three points under their belt is much better, there’s no anxiety about necessarily getting a result” A memory of that 2-1 goal against France at the 1978 World Cup? “That moment – concludes Zaccarelli – do you really feel a different emotion, the same Barella who scored the winning goal, he scored many, but in National is a completely different thing.” (ANSA).