Luciano Spalletti has spoken to the media ahead of Italy’s important Euro 2024 qualifier against England at Wembley on Tuesday evening, insisting that the Azzurri have done everything to prepare in the right way to face Gareth Southgate’s side.
Italy currently sit second in Group C of qualifying on 10 points from five games, three points behind England, who have played the same number of matches.
Though the top two teams in the group will qualify directly for the tournament, Italy will need to be wary of Ukraine in third, who currently have the same number of points, although they have played one game more so far.
Spalletti, who is set to mark his fourth game in charge of the Nazionale at Wembley, believes that England will provide a big test that will show what level the team are currently at.
“I consider it to be many things. It’s a test to see where we’re at, what level we’re at, and it will help me to understand what our mindset is like, because we shouldn’t be expecting an easy ride,” he told the media team at Coverciano before jetting off for London on Monday.
He continued: “Staying in your comfort zone will kill all your hopes and dreams. In order to find comfort, you need to experience situations that will help you to grow and test yourself so you can reach a higher level.
“So, this is an important game for us. An international-level player must see this as a qualifying match and not think about the fixtures that lie ahead of us. Once the game is over, that’s it.
When asked what he expects to see from his team on Tuesday night, Spalletti replied: “Our attitude will be to go there and play openly. We want to go there and show that we have our own history, our own potential, our own values. We’ll see who’s better on the night.”
Videos of Gianluigi Buffon firing up the squad at the end of their training session on Monday have proved to be popular with supporters online, and Spalletti believes that the excitement shows the level of professionalism within the camp.
“That’s part of our professional approach here at Coverciano, because they’re professional people,” he said. “I’ve seen that they’re committed, that they’re a willing group, they’ve shown me that they have the right mindset to play matches at this level.
“I’ve seen over the last 15 days that the key to success is having confidence in yourself, and the key behind feeling confident is preparation. Given how they have prepared, they are ready.”