Italy coach Luciano Spalletti insists the Azzurri must not be superficial ‘regardless of the system’ and praises Mateo Retegui: ‘Those who score always give something more.’
Italy secured a 2-1 win over Venezuela in an interventional friendly in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday but struggled more than expected against the Vinotinto.
For the first time in his tenure, Spalletti started with a 3-4-2-1 system but switched to a classic 4-3-3 in the final 15 minutes, when Italy were more convincing and created more goal-scoring opportunities.
“I think we did some good things, but sometimes we were soft,” Spalletti told Rai Sport.
“When we make errors like the one that led to the penalty kick, talking about systems is pointless. The performance was good with both a three-man defence and a 4-3-3.”
Gigio Donnarumma was as impressive as Retegui as he saved a penalty kick after just three minutes and produced another key save in the second half to deny Jhonder Cádi.
So, is it not a coincidence that Italy were more convincing in the final 15 minutes with a four-man defence?
“Nothing we do is a coincidence for the way we work. We work to give direction and an idea to the team,” Spallerti replied.
“Of course, in terms of strength and physical impact, we must give something more because sometimes we are superficial. Regardless of the system. First of all, we need to fix this thing. It’s the starting point. Then we can talk about the rest.”
Genoa star Retegui has now scored four goals in five appearances with La Nazionale.
“Who scores goals always gives something more than the others,” argued Spalletti.
“He helped the team by holding the ball, he was strong with headers, he is a physical player. He did what he was supposed to.”
Italy’s next friendly game is against Ecuador on Sunday, March 24.