Roberto Baggio warned Italy players about their ‘biggest enemy’ while Alessandro Del Piero told the Azzurri they have a ‘great opportunity’ before a training session on Monday.
Five legendary Italian players, Baggio, Del Piero, Francesco Totti, Gianni Rivera and Giancarlo Antognoni, met Italy players before a training session on Monday.
The CT Luciano Spalletti revealed at a press conference attended by Football Italia what each of them had told the players before a training session.
What Baggio, Totti and Del Piero told Italy players
Baggio said: ‘The biggest enemy is responsibility when you wear this shirt, but you must face it, or you are going to lose it.’
Baggio reached the World Cup Final in 1994, and the penalty he missed against Brazil is one of the saddest and most iconic moments in Italian football’s history.
Baggio’s former Juventus teammate Del Piero added: ‘It’s true that there is pressure, but you have a great opportunity, and you’ll remember this pressure with a smile when you’re older. You’ll face the best in the world and nothing is better than this challenge.’
Del Piero won the World Cup in 2006 and reached the Final at Euro 2000 when the Azzurri lost in a Final against France. In that match, Del Piero missed two goals with the Azzurri one goal up in the second half.
Spalletti revealed that Antognoni said it was “nice to see many players who he had seen in the youth teams,” while Totti argued that it was “important” to go on the pitch to win and possibly have fun.
Rivera suggested playing attacking football. “He helped me with my duty because that’s what we want to do,” Spalletti concluded.
𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐢 𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢 🔟⚽️🇮🇹🧞♂️🤩
➡️ https://t.co/BVdKhsStkK#EroiAzzurri #Azzurri #Nazionale #VivoAzzurro#Baggio #DelPiero #Totti #Rivera #Antognoni pic.twitter.com/do8sV0ErWY— Nazionale Italiana ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@Azzurri) June 3, 2024
The old Legends know what it takes to win! Play, do you best always and hope for the best outcome! Forza Italia!
Forza Italia! Let go make history by successful defending the Euro cup as we did in 1930 and 1934 with the world cup. Forza Italia!
These are grown men. Professionals. They don’t need a pep talk from former players like they’re a bunch of under 12’s. Another pathetic display from a federation that knows nothing of football.
Roberto 😅😆🙆 you are brutal, but I think personally it was a very good gesture , letting these players know it has been done by their country many times before .
Not nice a comment from Roberto
Need to remind
Notice all the Legends wear # 10 ..
Who is our current #10 ? MIA as far as I’m concerned.
Who better to know the responsibility than Baggio to carry the heavy Cross all his Life after a missed PK.
Keep in mind Baresi missed the 1st try .
It’s a Team game.