Arrigo Sacchi insists “it’s too much” for Roberto Mancini “to overturn the world alone”, including a bizarre reference to Benito Mussolini.
Italy make their Nations League bow under Mancio against Poland tomorrow, and the former CT spoke to QS-Sport about the state of the national team.
“There was another time that Italy appealed to a man of destiny,” Sacchi began.
Arrigo Sacchi insists “it’s too much” for Roberto Mancini “to overturn the world alone”, including a bizarre reference to Benito Mussolini.
Italy make their Nations League bow under Mancio against Poland tomorrow, and the former CT spoke to QS-Sport about the state of the national team.
“There was another time that Italy appealed to a man of destiny,” Sacchi began.
“His name was Mussolini, and we know how that ended. Of course, I’m not making comparisons but I’m saying that it’s too much for Mancini to overturn the world alone. If all goes well he can do his bit.
“What do we need? A strong Federation, that puts values at the centre: quality, a sense of the collective, a Federation that develops a school, a style, a game identity that characterises our national team.
“That’s what happened in France after 1970 and in Germany after 2000.
“Today we go by the rule of survival, maximum result for minimal effort.
“We’re a country that sells our soul to the devil, a country with no true national pride. Nowadays, when you watch certain matches you can’t tell it’s the Italian league because there are so many foreigners on the pitch.
“In my Milan there was [Ruud] Gullit, [Marco] Van Basten and [Frank] Rijkaard but the spine of the team was all Italian.
“We need to make a cultural leap, Presidents must understand that our players give more than the foreigners in terms of gelling together, the ease with which they adapt to the rules of the group an the sense of identity.
“The Press and the public can also play a part in this crusade.”