EURO 2024: Italy players given day off after draw against Croatia

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - JUNE 19: Head coach of Italy Luciano Spalletti speaks with players before a Italy training session at Arena AufSchalke on June 19, 2024 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images for FIGC)

Italy players have been given a day off after a 1-1 draw against Croatia on Monday and will start preparation for a Round of 16 tie against Switzerland on Wednesday.

Football Italia understands Italy returned to Iserlohn from Leipzig at 3:40 in the morning local time, so Luciano Spalletti gave his players a day off before starting preparation for the next EURO 2024 game against Switzerland.

Players have been allowed to leave the training base, where they will return after dinner.

After a 1-0 loss to Spain last week, Spalletti said he should have given his players more rest as some looked exhausted after a victory in their EURO 2024 debut against Albania.

Italy will play Switzerland in the Round of 16 on Saturday, June 29, at 18:00 CET at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, where the Azzurri won the 2006 World Cup in a Final against France.

Spalletti’s men finished as the Group B runners-up with four points below Spain, who won three games out of three.

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