Antonio Conte has warned Italy of the threat posed by Croatia on November 16, but promised a display of ‘determination, passion and enthusiasm’ from his players.
The Azzurri will hope to maintain their 100 per cent start to Euro 2016 qualifying against the Balkan giants next Sunday.
Antonio Conte has warned Italy of the threat posed by Croatia on November 16, but promised a display of ‘determination, passion and enthusiasm’ from his players.
The Azzurri will hope to maintain their 100 per cent start to Euro 2016 qualifying against the Balkan giants next Sunday.
However, their Coach insists the team must take full advantage of the San Siro atmosphere if they are to emerge victorious.
“We’ll be facing the strongest opponents in our group,” Conte told Italy’s official YouTube channel, VivoAzzurro.
“A national team who are experiencing an important era in their history because the players that make up their squad play for some of the best clubs in Europe.
“We’ll need to be extremely careful, so it’ll be important to have the stadium full. We can assure the fans of great determination, passion and enthusiasm.
“[San Siro] is called the ‘Scala del Calcio’ for good reason. One time, it was said that you couldn’t be considered a top player if you hadn’t played at least once at San Siro.
“It's a stadium filled with emotions and unique sensations. It’s the best choice of venue for this game.”
On the topic of Azzurrini making the grade at senior level, Conte commented: “It's important that we try to play as many youngsters as possible. The actual percentage [in Italian football] is very, very low.
“There are talented youngsters in the Under-21s who must carry on working hard to get into the Nazionale. We have our eyes open for them.”