It is true that by now we are already thinking about the championship, that there is no time to enjoy the victories, to be able to analyze them and that the calendar already takes you to the next club jobs. But the national topic is not a topic that we can only deal with during breaks (ours and the championship’s in general).
The attention that rightly attracts during major events cannot drastically decrease during the lead-up to the European and World Championships or during the Nation League.
It’s obvious that they don’t have the same appeal. And therefore matches can also have different meanings. This is why then what is interesting is to understand how we are doing. Not compared to others, but absolutely.
Compared to others we know this. No world champion wears blue. At the moment there is no one who can win the Ballon d’Or. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t good players.
And what Spalletti is now doing (as Mancini had previously done) is giving this team a strong identity. Making up for individuality with the collective. And if the collective is made up of excellent players, Italy’s value will have an exponential advantage.
This has always been the philosophy of our coach throughout his history as a coach. It is obvious that everyone must be interconnected with each other, otherwise the scaffolding will not hold. However, the qualifications for the last World Cup did not arrive because Italy was not strong enough. But also – if we want – the not brilliant European Championship by Spalletti. they did not arrive because Italy performed below its standards and expectations. For a thousand reasons, for a thousand reasons. But not because of a quality that is no longer what it once was.
We have asked ourselves many times where the talent has gone.
And this is certainly a question that the federal president must ask himself in particular, to carry out the blessed reforms and encourage the growth of our footballers. But the talent we already have is enough to make a good impression. And if things fit together well to get to the end.
With a project, exactly. To be carried out with the full availability of the players. This is why we must not underestimate the last two Italian performances. A different corporate spirit was seen. Both in the draw against Belgium (where the expulsion and the goal conceded at the same time certainly directed the match) and in the victory against Israel. There are good signs and there are many. As many as good players, in every department. Some stronger than others. And with some of them you can even compare with the big Europeans. This national team may not have talent to spare, but it can have courage, determination, tactical understanding and the desire to amaze. Rewarding work has always been a great goal of Spalletti. Who from this point of view is not so dissimilar to Mancini, in his search for talent.
There is a desire to leave a mark, a desire to repay the trust of the Italians. Because the bad European journey has left consequences in Spalletti’s soul and probably also in that of the players. And there is a desire for redemption.
You see it, you feel it, you notice it. It is an Italy that is growing day after day, in the best way. Ready to go and take the place it deserves on the international scene. With his new weapons: less creativity (probably) but more organization, more team.