Luciano Spalletti discussed his ambitions for the national team, saying he could quit coaching if he won the World Cup and EURO’s. The Azzurri boss gave a lengthy interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport and talked about his career to date, hopes for the future, and revealed that the New Zealand rugby team have had an influence on his approach:
“These are the highest moments of my career and my journey as a man. I am a very calm and darn good person, despite past incidents leading some to think otherwise. In my professional life, I have always been extremely correct. And to succeed, I have sometimes had to take positions that were not pleasing to the public opinion,” said Spalletti. On the European Championship, he added, “I know that England, France, Spain, and Germany are strong, but we can be at their level. We need to choose proactive, reliable, enthusiastic players. Those who don’t have these characteristics can stay home; we don’t need them. I want a healthy group and leave a mark in these three years, then I can quit. Maybe I’ll change roles because I’ll have difficulties after Italy to continue as a coach.”
“In the National Team, we stay focused, there’s no fooling around. I repeat the All Blacks’ slogan, ‘No d***heads here.’ I need to build a strong National Team; I’m not satisfied with anything less. I want to win the European Championship and then the World Cup. Then we might even exit early, but the speeches I give to the team are what all Italians expect. We go to Germany to win, not just to participate. Our history demands it. To succeed, I need these players to become better than they are,” Spalletti continued.
“The formation for the national team? We will try 3-4-2-1: if some players struggle, I have to change something. New faces? Buongiorno is very strong, Bellanova a force of nature, Calafiori is ready, Fabbian a surprise, Gaetano now playing, Folorunsho a beast, and then there are Cambiaso, Baldanzi, Lucca, Carnesecchi, Di Gregorio, Provedel… Rivals? I know England, France, Spain and Germany are strong, but we can match them. However, you don’t win with players who only play well for 20′ but with those who do many things for 90’…”
Regarding the betting scandal, Spalletti commented, “It was the most difficult moment to manage. It produced a significant reaction from the group. Although I can’t understand why they decided to question the players during the retreat and not maybe at home in a more private and less traumatic moment for them. They experienced a feeling of precariousness and fragility. But it was good that all this happened because it allowed them to realize the mistakes and risks involved.”
Finally, on Napoli, Spalletti said, “I went to watch Milan-Napoli; I was at the bar in the Lounge area. A Napoli fan boy, about 7-8 meters away, started staring at me. When his dad gave him permission, he ran to me and clung to my legs; he was crying. I picked him up, and he was still sobbing. Did I make De Laurentiis lose millions? Which De Laurentiis spoke? There are 4-5 of them around, and I’m not referring to the children… There’s the grateful one, the melancholic one, the resentful one, the behind-the-scenes one. I wish them to reach the Club World Cup, which guarantees huge revenues; my hand is also in Napoli’s ranking.”
