Azzurri legend Roberto Baggio gave some advice to Luciano Spalletti’s Italy squad ahead of this summer’s European Championship.
The 1993 Ballon d’Or winner famously made 56 appearances for the Italy national team from 1988 to 2004, scoring 27 goals and providing 14 assists in that time. His most memorable competition was the 1994 World Cup, where he shined before fatefully missing the final penalty in the final against Brazil.
Spalletti’s Azzurri are gearing up for an important European Championship in Germany, needing to show a resilient response after their failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. The team come in as defending champions and will be hungry to repeat the feat this summer.
Baggio advice
Speaking on page three of today’s Tuttosport, Baggio first gave his thoughts on Spalletti’s Italy squad ahead of Euro 2024.
“I believe it’s a project under construction. Spalletti has the qualities to choose the players who will represent Italy at the European Championship. We need to give these kids time to work in peace.”
He was asked if he had any advice for the players ahead of the tournament.
“When you show up for such an important tournament, you have to start from the idea that you will give everything. The work they will do from here on out will determine their path.”
Finally, Baggio was asked to weigh on in the current football development path in Italy, such as the focus on tactics and marking.
“I believe that today’s young Italians are missing the street, the one I grew up on. All we needed were two shirts and the goal was there. In those realities you develop a technical background that you then carry with you throughout your life.
“Today we fear that our children will encounter difficulties, but they are precisely those that shape you. There is too much pressure, the kids must be left alone, they must be able to make their own journey.”