Italy secured their place in the Euro 2024 Round of 16 with a dramatic late equalizer against Croatia in their final Group B match. Mattia Zaccagni’s stoppage-time goal earned the Azzurri a 1-1 draw, setting up a knockout stage clash with Switzerland. After the game, Italy coach Luciano Spalletti shared his thoughts on the team’s performance and qualification.
Spalletti emphasized the importance of belief until the final whistle, stating, “You believe until the last second, that’s football. There are situations that become dangerous, moments that become crucial.” He acknowledged missed opportunities, saying, “We still missed two or three clear goal chances.”
The Italian coach recognized areas for improvement, noting, “There are things that happen in our matches that are illogical. But we need to take the qualities and put the players in the best conditions to perform.” Regarding qualification, Spalletti added, “We deservedly passed this round, now we’ll think about the upcoming matches.”
In a separate interview, Spalletti addressed the team’s performance, particularly in the first half. “We were below par in terms of quality of play. If we do so little, we achieve little. You always achieve what you produce,” he explained. He also praised Croatia as a “great team with players accustomed to this level.”
Spalletti dismissed suggestions that the team played cautiously, stating, “In some moments we need to do more, we are below our standard, but what caution! In the first half, we lost balls that we can’t lose.” He emphasized the need for better game management regardless of formation.
Mattia Zaccagni, who scored the crucial equalizer, expressed his emotions: “It’s an immense satisfaction, I’m a bit emotional, a beautiful evening that I will always carry with me. It was important to equalize to pass as second. We stayed in the game with a great second half, the result is deserved.”
Zaccagni also praised Spalletti’s role in building the team: “The coach has been good at creating this group, taking everything that was needed.”
