Luciano Spalletti warns their EURO 2024 opponents that Italian football has changed and depends on tactical ‘fluidity’ best exemplified by their versatile wing-backs.
The Azzurri are in arguably the toughest group of the whole competition in Germany kicking off next week, as they are up against Albania, Spain and finally Croatia.
They are also the reigning Champions of Europe after winning the EURO 2020 trophy under previous coach Roberto Mancini.
“In my opinion, coming into the tournament as defending champions is an advantage,” Spalletti told UEFA.com.
“But we need to understand straight away that we need to behave like defending champions. Italy has chosen us to represent our nation, but we will only see whether or not we are up to the task during the matches.
“We need to show that. We need to convince ourselves, not only the fans. In a way, we are facing ourselves, not the outside world. We need to show what we are made of, to show what we have inside.”
Spalletti is busy changing the tactical approach of the Nazionale, following on from the inspiration provided by some of the club teams this season, as Inter won the Scudetto and Atalanta were victorious in the Europa League, both using a three-man defence.
“We are often characterised, or at least well known, for being good in the defensive phase and opening up the field on the counterattack. But in Italy, we are changing our approach. We want to get players forward instead of always waiting. We want to press, we want to build the play and try to block as a team,” continued Spalletti.
“The game is fluid. It’s about looking for those spaces left by the opposition, because the space isn’t between the lines anymore. The space is where the other team leaves gaps.”
Spalletti’s Italy inspired by Serie A sides
He has also noted that Italy can switch between a 3-4-2-1 and 4-2-3-1 formation even during the same match, without changing the individuals on the field.
“Sometimes you start with an initial shape or system, and then end up with something else: two different systems during the same game. Because of this fluidity, you end up doing things differently. It’s not that sort of rigid, easily recognisable thing that you used to have in the past. It’s much more creative now.”
Among the keys to achieving that sort of fluidity are versatile players in the wider roles, with Giovanni Di Lorenzo of Napoli and Inter’s Federico Dimarco able to do many different things.
“They can play outside their comfort zones. They know how to play as midfielders, or as wing-backs who can push up past the defensive line. They know how to play a ball through the defensive line. They are not afraid to get in front of goal and score,” concluded Spalletti.
“These players, who have this fluidity when they play, are at ease everywhere on the pitch. They dominate the midfield, and they’re also curious to go and see what’s behind the defensive line. They are great players.”
Italy complete their warm-up for EURO 2024 by facing Bosnia and Herzegovina in a friendly this evening.
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