Pessina: ‘Italy are already over World Cup failure’

Monza midfielder Matteo Pessina insists Italy players have ‘shaken off’ the disappointment of World Cup failure and are ‘already looking to the next target.’

They beat Albania 3-1 on Wednesday and the next friendly kicks off at the Ersnt Happel Stadion in Vienna on Sunday at 19.45 GMT.

The scheduling of this friendly does feel like rubbing the noses of the Azzurri fans in the fact they won’t be cheering on their team at the World Cup, as it begins just after the opening fixture between Qatar and Ecuador has finished.

“To be honest, I expected to feel worse, but my teammates and I realised we have shaken off the disappointment of World Cup elimination and turned our focus to other objectives,” said Pessina in his press conference.

“These friendlies can certainly help us to prepare for the more important competitions coming up. We all wanted to go to the World Cup, of course it still hurts, but we are already looking to the next target.”

That will be both qualifying for EURO 2024 to defend their title, but also playing in the Nations League Final Four, where they are competing with Croatia, the Netherlands and Spain.

However, former Atalanta man Pessina wants to encourage the new players that Italy always react to setbacks.

“As you all know, EURO 2020 was a big moment in my career and that of many teammates, so we will always have that within us.

“Being the first ever Monza player in the Nazionale is something to make me, the Monza fans and CEO Adriano Galliani – who was moved to tears when I got the call – very proud.

“I tell the younger players to remember what happened a year and a half ago. We were not among the favourites, many of us weren’t even expecting to be part of the squad, myself included. And we saw how it went.

“I am really pleased to see so many young players come in with the right mentality.”