Graziano Pellè admits he “misses Italy,” but is content with Southampton and feels the Nazionale are improving despite defeat to Belgium.
The striker sat down for a Press conference ahead of Tuesday’s friendly with Romania and naturally his first thoughts were with the people of Paris.
“There is sadness and anger in this very delicate moment. Obviously there are concerns with Euro 2016 played in France next year, but we must resolve these problems with rational minds and not ignorance.
Graziano Pellè admits he “misses Italy,” but is content with Southampton and feels the Nazionale are improving despite defeat to Belgium.
The striker sat down for a Press conference ahead of Tuesday’s friendly with Romania and naturally his first thoughts were with the people of Paris.
“There is sadness and anger in this very delicate moment. Obviously there are concerns with Euro 2016 played in France next year, but we must resolve these problems with rational minds and not ignorance.
“It’s right that we continue with things that we love, because to stop would be letting them win. It’s not just football matches that are at risk, but going to a restaurant or just having a walk. Life goes on and we mustn’t give up.”
Italy lost their friendly 3-1 to Belgium on Friday, despite taking the lead through Antonio Candreva, and face another test on Tuesday in Bologna.
“If you watch the game back, there were some good things. We are improving in many aspects, there’s a long way to go before the Euros and we are here to get better.
“I don’t think there are any easy teams out there and it’ll be a very difficult tournament. We know Belgium’s quality and they are number one in the FIFA World Ranking, but the game could’ve gone very differently if we hadn’t hit the bar.
“I have faith, as does the entire squad. I am happy that the Coach chose difficult nations for these friendlies, as it’s better to spot issues early and deal with them. It’s a sign of our ambition.”
Pellè has found his niche at Southampton and before then was a hero in Holland, but never quite delivered on Italian soil until now.
“At Southampton I score goals and work for the team, as I do for the Nazionale. I am the first to admit I need to improve and I always try to be more dangerous in attack.
“Italy is a wonderful nation and I miss the beauty of it in general. Serie A is also stepping up and gaining visibility abroad after it was initially snubbed. Now the excellent results of Juventus and other clubs in Europe show people we’re back to being the Italian football we loved, one of the best in the world.
“I am nostalgic for home, but I am also happy in England. It’s an atmosphere I wanted to experience and we’ll see what happens.”