Gianluigi Buffon assures the Italy squad “have total confidence” in Giampiero Ventura but admits Euro 2004 with Sweden was “a huge disappointment”.
Ventura is under pressure to deliver when Italy take on Sweden in the World Cup playoffs, but the Azzurri were famously eliminated from Euro 2004 by the Scandinavians, who scored a late equaliser in their 2-2 draw with Denmark.
Gianluigi Buffon assures the Italy squad “have total confidence” in Giampiero Ventura but admits Euro 2004 with Sweden was “a huge disappointment”.
Ventura is under pressure to deliver when Italy take on Sweden in the World Cup playoffs, but the Azzurri were famously eliminated from Euro 2004 by the Scandinavians, who scored a late equaliser in their 2-2 draw with Denmark.
“Return to 3-5-2? I don’t think Ventura has decided what kind of game we’ll play yet, mainly because we’ve only been together for a day,” the goalkeeper told Rai Sport.
“He also wants to monitor the conditions of each player first. After that, he can choose the best formation for us to express ourselves in.
“I think someone with the experience of our CT knows how to approach these types of games, so we trust him and have total confidence in him.
“Confrontation by the players after the draw with FYR Macedonia? It was a freak occurrence, but I see it extremely normal that professionals, when they fail to express themselves and pick up certain results, if they care about the work they’re doing, if they care about the fate of their own team, in this case a nation, carry out some form of confrontation so that they can overcome any kind of difficulty or obstacle.
“It’s very common practice and been used for as long as I’ve been in the national team and at Juve.
“The ‘biscotto’ of 2004? Life goes on, although the exit from that Euros with five points was a huge disappointment.
“It’s also true if we’d done better, there wouldn’t have been such a problem. If you consider yourselves as a top team or player, you know that fate passes through your hands and you don’t have to rely on others.
“The atmosphere in this group has always been good. It’s joyous and there’s a desire to achieve things and stick together, with the consciousness and awareness that these are two very important games for the whole of Italy and our football, and we want to give real happiness to our people, as well those who are near us and follow us with passion.”