Andrea Belotti reveals his thoughts after Italy beat Bulgaria 2-0, shaking off COVID and a special dedication for his baby daughter.
After the same result against Northern Ireland, it was another 2-0 victory for the Azzurri in their 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Belotti earned and converted a soft penalty before the Manuel Locatelli curler sealed the scoreline in Sofia.
Andrea Belotti reveals his thoughts after Italy beat Bulgaria 2-0, shaking off COVID and a special dedication for his baby daughter.
After the same result against Northern Ireland, it was another 2-0 victory for the Azzurri in their 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
Belotti earned and converted a soft penalty before the Manuel Locatelli curler sealed the scoreline in Sofia.
“We practiced penalties during the week and I was the designated taker. As soon as we got the spot-kick, Insigne gave me the ball, so he knew as well,” Belotti told RAI Sport.
The Torino hitman could’ve had a second, but his lob beat the goalkeeper only to hit the woodwork.
“I thought that chance had gone in, then the ball took a weird swerve, it bounced off the upright and on the rebound it went over. It’s a pity, as we could’ve done with more goals to be a bit more comfortable.”
This was Belotti’s first Italy start since recovering from COVID-19, so he is still not at 100 per cent.
“COVID hit many of us, I had it recently, but unfortunately this is a sneaky opponent we are dealing with here. We are also coming off basically two consecutive seasons, as we haven’t really stopped over the summer, so some fatigue is natural.
“Having said that, it’s a very positive and enthusiastic group. I think it’s right that there are high expectations for Italy, because we are a really great team and I think we can achieve remarkable things.”
During his celebration, Belotti waved a V for his baby daughter Vittoria.
“The celebration was for my daughter. Unfortunately, she was born the same day that I tested positive for COVID, so I didn’t get to meet her for two weeks. Fatherhood is the most wonderful thing that can happen in life.”