“With us, Spain will want to win with ball possession and one-on-one. Italy will have to counter by forcing their opponents to move back into their own half of the pitch and not allowing them to stay in our midfield thanks to recovering the ball high. Spanish defenders will always have their feet on the halfway line, it will be tough for us.” This is how Demetrio Albertini, former midfielder of Milan, Atletico Madrid, Lazio, Atalanta and Barcelona, interviewed by gazzetta.it, presents tomorrow’s match, valid for the second day of Group B of the European Championship.
How did you see Scamacca?
“He grew up thanks to the work culture that Gasperini instilled in him. We have known his talent for years and now he has found the right team to be decisive. I hope that the same thing happens in the national team too.”
Meanwhile, Barella scored a Eurogoal.
“He is one of the best in the world for how he interprets the two phases.”
Which midfielder of his time does he resemble?
“Today the interpretation of the role of midfielder has changed and midfielders move more, cover more of the field, compared to the 90s and the beginning of 2000. He can resemble the Antonio Conte at the beginning of his career and the Xavi of his last years at Barcelona “.
Did you like the Italy you saw on their debut against Albania?
“Let’s say I really liked the reaction to the initial deficit and the first half. In the second half we went so-so.”
What is there to improve?
“If we leave to Spain all the spaces that we left to Albania… I’ll stop here.”
Is the football that Spalletti showed during his coaching career, in this sense, a guarantee?
“Spalletti is a coach who has brought enthusiasm back to the national team. We see good things on the pitch, but we must not forget that matches last ninety minutes and not forty-five.”
And here we return to the resourcefulness that is needed in certain races.
“We must believe in the work done so far. I repeat: if we passively suffer their game, we will also concede goals. The Spaniards can keep the ball more than us, but we must force them to run backwards, force them to stay in their half of the pitch, attacking them when we can. We are Italy. We must not be afraid.”