Former Italy CT Marcello Lippi is full of confidence heading into EURO 2024, and has explained why he believes Luciano Spalletti is the right man to lead this current group into the tournament.
The EUROs are now less than a week away, kicking-off with Germany-Scotland on Friday evening at 20.00 BST. Italy will first be in action 24 hours later, playing Albania in Dortmund at 20.00 on Saturday.
It will be the first major tournament hosted by Germany since the 2006 World Cup, which Lippi and his team famously won with a penalty shoot-out victory over France at Berlin’s Olympiastadion.
Lippi has revealed that he has not yet returned to any of the stadiums that Italy played in on their way to lifting the most coveted prize in international football.
Why Lippi trusts Spalletti to lead Italy to success
In Sunday’s printed edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport, Lippi told readers: “I have great faith in this team and in its coach. I like this Italy, and I have faith in the wisdom, intelligence and ability of Spalletti, who showed his level with Napoli.
“Luciano and I are great friends, I know he respects me a lot and the feeling is mutual,” Lippi said, reported via TMW.
Lippi then explained he has not been back to any of the German stadiums he visited in 2006, but suggested that could change by the end of this summer.
“The national team is growing. I will follow all the matches with a lot of enthusiasm. I have never returned to any of the stadiums in Germany, especially Dortmund. Maybe it will happen in the future, or perhaps even for this European Championship.”