Luciano Spalletti admits the 0-0 draw with Turkey was ‘your classic game at the start of the process’ because Italy were still getting to grips with their new approach.
The Azzurri hit the woodwork with a Bryan Cristante header just before half-time, but otherwise had precious few bright spots in this goalless stalemate at the Stadio Dall’Ara.
“We were not that sharp or consistent, but in some moments the team stepped up, pushed and tried to do things, but this is your classic game at the start of the process where you need a while to get things sorted,” Spalletti told RAI Sport.
Has this performance helped the coach to decide who he will cut in order to get the final 26-man squad for EURO 2024?
“There is still another game to make choices, so we will take all the time that we need. There’s no point saying who will remain with two days to spare.”
Was the slow tempo also due to the Nazionale stepping up the intensity of their training sessions over the last couple of days?
“We must know how to change quickly, there were quite a few who felt fatigued and we weren’t sharp enough moving the ball around in their half. We tried to do something different towards the end, but the game was practically over,” continued Spalletti.
“There was some good pressing, but then we also lost the ball too easily.”
Spalletti has another friendly before EURO 2024
The Nazionale will also face Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday, before beginning EURO 2024 against Albania on June 15, Spain on June 20 and Croatia on June 24.
“I am satisfied because it was a real, intense game, we are still grasping certain things.”
There have already been several big injury problems for the Nazionale, ruling out players like Francesco Acerbi, Giorgio Scalvini, Nicolò Zaniolo, Domenico Berardi and Destiny Udogie.
Lorenzo Pellegrini went off today with a knock to the knee, but it is nothing serious, while Gianluca Scamacca and Nicolò Barella were in the stands.