Roberto Mancini believes the postponement of the European Championship to next summer “could be a slight advantage for Italy. We’re among the teams who can win it.”
The Azzurri won all 10 qualifiers in their group going into Euro 2020, where they are set to face Turkey, Wales and Switzerland.
It was meant to be this June, but it has been moved to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Roberto Mancini believes the postponement of the European Championship to next summer “could be a slight advantage for Italy. We’re among the teams who can win it.”
The Azzurri won all 10 qualifiers in their group going into Euro 2020, where they are set to face Turkey, Wales and Switzerland.
It was meant to be this June, but it has been moved to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s disappointing that we are not playing the Euros, but at the same time I think it could be a slight advantage for Italy, because we’re a young team and having an extra year of experience could be useful for some of the lads,” Mancini told Rai 1.
“I think we’ll be among the teams who are capable of winning the trophy. I don’t like to set too many rules for my players, as it’s not right to cage their personalities.”
It’s not just the world of football that has been shut down by the COVID-19 crisis, as much of the globe is on lockdown.
“This has taught us many things, for example that you can be the most powerful, richest, most handsome, but when an illness comes along like an invisible enemy, it can knock you down.
“I hope that people will become kinder after all this and that we can also get back to watching football purely for enjoyment. We must remember the healthcare workers after all this is over too and not just during a crisis. It’s too easy to praise them now.”
The Italy Federation has made a concrete contribution by opening up the Coverciano training ground to act as a makeshift hospital, with over 50 rooms and medical equipment.