Spalletti: I’m ‘a little tense’ for Italy vs Germany, Napoli my ‘last’ club experience

epa11659417 Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Italy, reacts during the UEFA Nations League A soccer match Italy vs Israel in Udine, Italy, 14 October 2024. EPA-EFE/DAVIDE CASENTINI

Italy coach Luciano Spalletti admitted that he’s ‘a little tense’ ahead of the upcoming two-legged clash against Germany in the Nations League quarter-finals, as he feels that being at the helm of the national team comes with ‘significant responsibilities’.

The Azzurri have the chance to continue their impressive Nations League campaign, having finished level on points with France in the group stage. The Tuscany-born coach explained that his decision to rely on young players stems from their ability to ‘always bring something new.

Spalletti: I’m confident Italy will mantain high level of football

“We started with the young players because we believe they have the energy and freshness to show us new things,” Spalletti told journalist Fabio Fazio during his TV segment Che Tempo Che Fa.

“Young players always bring out something new. However, you must take on significant responsibilities.

“Sometimes it’s overwhelming, but it’s from there that the love for the players comes. I like to embrace them and share things with them.

“I started with youth teams in the suburbs, with kids who would tell me things they didn’t want to share with their parents. That’s something that’s stuck with me.

“It becomes easy to receive a message that creates motivation.

“There are things you say to stimulate players and others you just say for the sake of it. When we arrive at hotels, both in Italy and especially abroad, it’s always full of fans waving the Italian flag as if it were a child they haven’t seen in a long time.

“For them, the Italian flag is something very important. As De Rossi says: ‘We never take off the national team shirt.’”

Spalletti looked particularly pleased with Mateo Retegui and Moise Kean for establishing themselves as the top goal-scorers in Serie A this season.

“We’ve rediscovered strong and important personalities,” he added. “Recently, we haven’t been very lucky in finding strikers.”

While Italy’s EURO 2024 campaign, which ended with a last-16 exit, was disappointing, Spalletti pointed out that his players have learned and grown from the experience.

“A defeat is only a defeat if it doesn’t teach you anything,” the coach claimed.

“If it teaches you something, it’s a reason for growth. In fact, the players have shown that we’ve been able to produce great performances afterwards.

“Now, I’m confident we will be able to maintain that level of football.”

“I’m a little tense,” Spalletti then continued, speaking about their Nations League fixture against Germany.

“Not too worried, because I want to convey to my players that matches depend on what we bring to the table. Fear is just a random emotion. Danger is different; it happens at a specific moment.”

Spalletti: Napoli was my last job in club football

The 66-year-old inevitably reflected on his title-winning campaign at Napoli, revealing that he would hang Maradona’s shirts at the training ground to inspire his players, and claiming that he will never coach another club after his time with the Partenopei.

“I bought a sofa bed, a cot to sleep on,” Spalletti said.

“Also, because Castel Volturno is far from Naples. I had to dedicate all my time to it, I couldn’t waste time waiting in line.

“I hung up Maradona’s shirts because he was there watching over us. He gave us strength. I always walked into locker rooms where I had to manage my emotions, and I didn’t know if I was good enough to do it.

“Napoli is my last experience in a club; I could never have coached another team in Italy. When you’ve been in that environment, it becomes difficult to return as an opponent.”