Carmine Nunziatacoach of Italy Under 21, spoke to Rai Radio 1 Sport after the qualification for the European Championship achieved two days ago: “It was a well-deserved qualification. It was a difficult group, there were at least three strong teams and we never lost. We scored 27 goals and conceded only 4. At times, we also played good football and that’s what we want: to get the result through play.”
Desplanches, Ghilardi, Prati, Zanotti, Baldanzi, Casadei, Esposito and a block found after the Under 20.
“It was important. There are even guys I’ve known for 4 years: starting a two-year period with guys you already know simplified things. Ours is not only a talented team but also with important moral values.”
Little space for young people?
“Young guys only improve by playing. In the last year, many young players are carving out an important space for themselves in Serie A too, it’s important for us and for the boys.”
Message to Spalletti for the European Championship?
“There is great harmony with the coach and with all the Under teams. In addition to winning, our objective is to give players to the senior national team, as happened with Calafiori and Pisilli. When we get to June, we’ll see.”
How is Casadei seeing it?
“Last year Cesare had a good first half with Leicester, then he went to Chelsea and didn’t play much. This year they kept him there, I advised him to see how things go until January, otherwise it’s right to look around for another solution”
Will Pafundi return to the Under 21s?
“He’s part of this group. The choice was made to let him play in the Under 19s and he did very well. The intention was to bring him up with us, unfortunately he had some physical problems. We decided to send him to the Under 20s to let him put some minutes into his legs, he’s part of the Under 21 group.”
Is Camarda monitoring him?
“Let’s give him some time, he’s a player with great prospects, let’s let him grow.”
Calafiori and Casadei, two players who made the most of their experience abroad. Would you advise young people who don’t play to leave Italy? “The important thing is that the boys play. If they find a team in Italy, better. But the experience abroad is also formative. For example, Zanotti, after playing in Switzerland, I found him to have improved a lot and grown a lot” .
For the draw on December 3rd in Bratislava, who is more scary?
“They are all strong teams, I was impressed by the Netherlands who finished the qualifying group with full points.”
What is the goal for the European Championship?
“That of trying to get to the end. We are Italy, we have to try to get to the end and win.”