Bryan Cristante assures Italy had their sights on the Final Four even when it looked possible they could be relegated from the Nations League group. ‘We took control of these two matches.’
Only a victory would’ve been enough to leapfrog Hungary and reach the Final Four of the Nations League, so Giacomo Raspadori and Federico Dimarco sealed a 2-0 result in Budapest to guarantee topping the group.
It is a huge leap forward considering before Friday’s 1-0 win over England at San Siro, Italy were still at risk of potential relegation.
“We wanted to go for first place even before the game at San Siro,” assured Roma midfielder Cristante on RAI Sport.
“We did well to take control of these two matches, now we will go and fight it out in the Final Four.”
It remains scant consolation for missing out on the 2022 World Cup, to be played in Qatar in November and December, but at least they have something to look forward to in 2023.
“The disappointment is immense and we all know that. Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do about it. All we could do was win these last two games.
“If we don’t believe in ourselves, then it certainly won’t go well. We are a strong squad, we’ve proved that we can do good things.”
There was also controversy around this break for international duty, as so many players pulled out with relatively minor injuries, reportedly under pressure from their clubs.
“All those who come here give their best. It’s a long season and there seem to be more games every year, but when I see a player in the Azzurri camp, I can guarantee he gives 100 per cent.”