Leonardo Bonucci insists Italy are ‘not worried’ about playing against England at Wembley Stadium but praises Harry Kane: ‘One of the best strikers in the world.’
The Azzurri face England in the UEFA Euro 2020 Final on Sunday.
It kicks off at 8 pm UK time at Wembley Stadium.
“The possible victory is an important step for Italian football,” Bonucci said at a press conference which was held remotely as three journalists who follow the Azzurri at the Euros tested positive for COVID.
“It would be a great satisfaction for all the Italians. We don’t want excuses, we are only focused on the game and we are looking forward to playing,” the 34-year-old said.
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“We only think about playing football and have fun, we don’t care about the rest. We are not worried about playing against them at Wembley.
“They have great strikers and everybody, not just the defenders, will need to pay attention. We know how they can create trouble for us, we need to pay attention to their speed,” the defender continued.
“Harry Kane is among the best strikers in the world, but we’ve already faced world-class forwards. We are motivated because we don’t want to concede.
“We are looking forward to playing, even if most fans will be English. We want to achieve something historical with a great performance.
“England have a solid defence, they’ve conceded little. Maguire and Stones have made great things at Manchester United and City.”
Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini have formed one of the best defensive partnership of the competition. The defenders are not just teammates but also close friends.
“We end the season on July 12 and two days later, we meet again to begin the holidays together, that says a lot about our relationship off the pitch,” Bonucci said.
How will he prepare for the Final?
“I will do the usual things: watch series, talk to my friends and family. I’ve been lucky enough to live these situations many times in my career, in the Champions League at the Euros and the Confederations Cup. I am calm and I hope to transmit this feeling to my teammates, we are looking forward to playing.”
Italy beat Spain on penalties in the semi-finals and Bonucci’s Juventus teammate Alvaro Morata missed the decisive shoot-out for la Roja.
“I was sorry he didn’t start the game, but that move from Luis Enrique created trouble for us. Morata scored a goal in regular time and missed a penalty, but he proved to have personality and has the strength to overcome everything. I am looking forward to seeing him again in Turin.”
The centre-back was mistaken for a pitch invader during the celebrations after the win against Spain with a steward who tried to push him back into the stands of Wembley Stadium.
“I was upset for the hug afterwards, she [the steward] was quite cold,” Bonucci said, smiling.
“It’s their job, they spend hours watching the fans and it can happen.”
Italy play the tenth Final of a major tournament in their history, just four years after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
“I’ve never thought it would be difficult to come back, Mancini has motivated us since the very first day, everybody wanted to recover. We have more experience now, from the older to the younger ones,” the Juventus centre-back claimed.
“Three years ago, it seemed impossible even to imagine to be here, we’ll give everything to be up to the task on Sunday.
“Mancini has worked on our mentality, he’s given us self-esteem, making us believe we were on the right track. He has picked talented players and quality is what makes the difference. You can play the best possible game, but you need quality, otherwise, you’ll never win.”
Italy President Sergio Mattarella will be attending the Final at Wembley.
“His presence at Wembley proves he is close to us and we want to give satisfaction to him and all Italians,” Bonucci concluded.