Arrigo Sacchi believes Luciano Spalletti is the ideal coach for Italy to prove ‘we are not just Catenaccio’ but warns that his task is like a ‘mountain to climb.’
FIGC confirmed Spalletti’s appointment on Friday, less than one week after Roberto Mancini’s resignation.
“Spalletti has just won the Serie A title with Napoli and he plays great football,” Sacchi wrote in his column on Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He reached the glory with a club that does not have the same tradition as Juventus, Milan and Inter, in an environment that it’s not easy to manage. Never forget that Napoli had only won with Diego Armando Maradona before this feat.
“He has demonstrated to be tenacious and patient, proving one can go far through playing style. This is why he’s one of the best coaches in Europe.
“Single players are not enough, you need the playing style to reach beauty, emotion and entertainment,” Sacchi continued.
“To me, Spalletti is a master, somebody who teaches football and who, through his playing style, manages to improve his players.
“He will face difficulties in the national team, it’s something I also experienced. It takes time to build a group. A lot of training sessions, a lot of trials, but he won’t have time. Three or four days of work are not enough to give an identity to the team. However, I am sure Luciano wants to leave his mark so the whole world will notice Italy is not just Catenaccio.
“With Spalletti, Italy can aim for a leap in quality which, with Roberto Mancini, was not completed. After winning the Euros, we acted like phenomenons and moved backwards failing to qualify for the World Cup. It won’t be an easy path, but he has the quality to climb this mountain.”
Well said.