Italy secured a 2-1 victory over Israel in their Nations League match at the Bozsik Arena in Budapest. Goals from Davide Frattesi and Moise Kean sealed the win for the Azzurri, with Abu Fani scoring a late consolation for Israel. Following the match, Italy’s head coach Luciano Spalletti shared his thoughts on the team’s performance.
Spalletti began by praising the manner of Italy’s victory: “Italy won in a splendid way. The pitfalls were evident in the first half, they dropped very deep. Perhaps due to some fatigue, you’re not as sharp. But we were lucid.”
“The team isn’t just mature; it’s extremely mature.Even tonight, they were very good at recognizing positions. They find each other with their eyes closed in certain circumstances.”
Spalletti highlighted Frattesi’s importance to the team: “Even when Frattesi isn’t visible in the actions, he does an important volume of work, helps the team, and creates superiority. He’s a crucial player for us.”
Regarding Kean, Spalletti admitted, “We didn’t seek out Kean enough: with all these midfielders, we should have sent more long balls his way to showcase his speed.”
The coach reflected on his squad selection process: “These call-ups were very well thought out. I thought about this all summer. I wanted to rejuvenate the team, and the responses were perfect, just as I expected. I made some changes, and the team showed the qualities I was looking for. We played two very good matches.”
Spalletti shared his vision for Federico Chiesa’s position: “I imagine Chiesa can play as a second striker, but with more freedom to move to the wings. This 3-5-2 formation can sometimes be with a central striker and a wide forward; it doesn’t always have to be with two central strikers.”
