Luciano Spalletti thanks Napoli for helping him win the ‘Panchina d’Oro’ but warns that Italy players who must be motivated ahead of the Euros ‘can stay home.’
The Certaldo-born tactician has won the Panchina D’Oro as the best Serie A coach of the season for the second time in his career. The first time was in 2004-05 when he was in charge of Udinese.
The award ceremony took place on Monday at Coverciano.
“I don’t want more Panchine D’oro; these are enough. I hope this recognition will be given to other excellent coaches who haven’t had a chance to show their qualities,” Spalletti said as quoted by TMW.
“There are many, as I said, but I want to thank all those who allowed me to win. Players and directors such as Giuntoli, but also the club with President De Laurentiis at the helm.
“I almost broke into tears when I saw the video of that moment [Napoli’s title win last season]. The city must be praised because it welcomed all fans regardless of their colours. The real victory has no borders, everyone can participate and have fun.”
Last season’s Scudetto was the first one for Spalletti as a coach so the Italy boss was asked where he had improved.
“I don’t know. All I can say is that I always wake up in the morning; I don’t stay in bed,” he replied.
“I visited my colleagues from whom I could learn so much. I dedicated all my time to football, perhaps this was the key. Look for new things, try to evolve continuously and learn. To receive this award means to be respected by excellent coaches who have shown the entire world how to play football. This is the best thing for those who do this job.”
Spalletti received 42 votes, beating Inter boss Simone Inzaghi with six and Milan‘s Stefano Pioli with three. The Rossoneri coach was the Panchina d’Oro winner for 2021-22 when he led Milan to their first Serie A title in a decade.
Spalletti continued the interview by talking about his expectations ahead of the Euros.
“I’ve started thinking about it since the first moment I received a call from Gravina. I was walking in my garden with my dog, and from that moment, I’ve been thinking about the next three years and making all that I have available,” he said.
“I can make no promises of any sort, and I am convinced our footballers will show that the others will fear us, too. Inside these competitions, we need to use the huge history Italy have. People like Buffon are fundamental, I appreciated him as a footballer and now as my collaborator. He is the one who can give advice.”
What does he expect from Sunday’s meeting between Inter and Juventus at the Stadio Meazza?
“I expect a nice game. When I started to do this job, there were games that made me irritable; I was almost afraid to face them. I thought about how to defend myself from somebody who was coming to attack me. Now, I feel that an important game must be played openly, with the courage to overturn all thoughts that come to you. The game that we got wrong was the one against England. We lost it, but the players had the right attitude. From that game, we have developed the tools to do well.
“All games are important for Italian football. Some time ago, most Italian players came from Juventus, Milan and Inter,” continued Spalletti.
“Now, we pick them from Atalanta, Sassuolo and Genoa, so all games make an important contribution.
“We must be convinced to play good football, at a high level, worthy of a national team with a great history like ours.”
When asked about Italy strikers’ form and whether finding a consistent goal scorer is an issue for him, he replied: “I would include Kean, too, because he has proved to be a strong footballer. It will be important to have players who can cover different roles. It is fundamental. We have one game and we need certainties. Those who need to be motivated can stay at home. I need to motivate nobody. If somebody gets a call-up and then needs to be motivated, it means I made a wrong choice. The national team’s jersey is the best thing, so one needs to be motivated already