Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina explains the different ‘rituals’ of the Italy squad during Euro 2020. ‘Those things partly done for good luck’.
Pessina bagged his third goal in the Azzurri shirt against Wales and helped the team top the Group A at the Euros and qualify for a last 16 showdown with Austria on Saturday.
The midfielder was not in the original 26-man squad, but replaced injured Stefano Sensi a few days before the competition and has since become an integral part of the dressing room.
The 24-year-old is now a point of reference on social media for the squad and in his logbook today, he spoke about the different rituals keeping Roberto Mancini’s men united.
“The battle with Austria is almost upon us, and here at Coverciano we continue to work hard,” Pessina wrote on Instagram.
“Today, after training, I was wondering. What is it that makes a Group of players, with a capital G?
“Perhaps the rituals: those things that are done partly for good luck, partly for pleasure and which becomes part of everyday life.
“And here we have several interesting rituals! A ritual that certainly accompanied us these days were the post-match dinners.
“After the match against Turkey, for example, we had a great barbecue under the sky of Coverciano, like the ones that each of you does. I told you: we are human too!
“After Wales, however, we made a nice Pizza, the Neapolitan chef had his personal oven brought to Coverciano!!!
“Ciro [Immobile] and Lorenzo [Insigne] were among the happies and I can guarantee you that the pizza was truly devastating.
“It is from the moments that every Italian lives in his daily life that our Group is cemented: a barbecue or a pizza and the individuals emerge, friendships, jokes and ‘catchphrases’ are born.
“But one of the best things about this Group is that it really reflects those wonderful words that we scream from our hearts before every game: ‘Brothers of Italy!’.
“We are a group of brothers who come from all over Italy: we have different accents (you should hear when [Manuel] Locatelli and I try to sing the Neapolitan songs that Lore, now self-proclaimed DJ of the Nazionale, puts on in the bus!!!), we have different sayings, maybe even different characters, but are all united by a single dream.
“To bring our colours to the only place they deserve. The highest.
“Now, let’s go, your affection charges us! Forza Azzurri!!!”
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