Azzurri boss Luciano Spalletti says he spoke with Francesco Acerbi who assured him that there was no racist incident between him and Juan Jesus. The Italy boss was speaking ahead of their friendly matches against Venezuela and Ecuador, and addressed the controversy surrounding Acerbi leaving the national team training camp as well as what plans he has for the upcoming matches:
“There’s a statement that we issued, and there’s my thought. We decided to do it all together. I never want to find myself in this position, but we have the responsibility of a very important sport for our nation. And, given what has come out, we must act, even with things still to be clarified. From what Francesco told me, there’s no episode of racism. But we must be careful of our behaviors, everything we do and say. Especially when we’re part of the national team. The 2 hours on the field are important, but also the other 22 hours when we wear the national team shirt. It’s a huge disappointment to make decisions for these incidents. We must be careful even when denouncing such an episode, if we suffer it in such a blatant way as it has come out. We’re all involved in this case. Now we’ve seen Francesco in difficulty, and he’s important to us. It doesn’t change anything from the point of view of the team’s strength, but it’s a human disappointment. Juan Jesus? His phone is off; I tried to call him.”
The coach continued by discussing the squad selections, explaining his choices in attack: “Immobile? I’m not joking with anyone. I know he’s been an important player for the last few years, for Lazio and the national team. He’s going through a phase where he can’t express his full potential, and I have to take everyone into consideration. Scamacca hasn’t played for a while. When I brought him, it didn’t seem like he was at his best. We play the first game that could compromise everything. I have to be sure that everyone can immediately contribute. Retegui is in condition, Raspadori can play a double role. And then we must consider something new, continuously.”
One of the most in-form players for the national team is Lorenzo Pellegrini: “He’s one of those we’ve been waiting for a long time. I’ve never had him available. He’s of a high level, a strong player who can do more things, even covering meters during the match. I don’t know what will happen from now until June, but we count on him.”
On Federico Chiesa: “Our Sinner? For me, it’s quite clear, he’s a strong player with offensive qualities. He dribbles, he scores goals, he also has the strong character of being convinced of his own qualities.”
Regarding the national team’s formation: “It’s fluid, liquid. It’s no longer rigid. There’s the possibility to change the system during the match depending on the action. We must try to do something extra.”
Spalletti concluded by discussing Daniele De Rossi and his work at Roma: “Daniele has been excellent. He’s done an exceptional job; it wasn’t easy to give a new mentality in such a short time.”
