The federal president unloads responsibility on foreigners and the calendar and excludes resignation. Are he and the coach the right men for the relaunch?
Journalist
June 30 – 11:42 PM – MILAN
At least Spalletti apologized. For the elimination, for the disappointment he caused, for the methods that determined it: rarely, perhaps never have we seen such an ugly Italy, poor in play, in ideas, even in competitive wickedness. At least he, the technical commissioner, took the blame: “I’m primarily responsible.” And he also admitted what we have been saying for some time, more or less since the European Championship began: there is a profound difference between the role of coach and that of selector. As we have written, a great coach is not necessarily also a great coach, and perhaps Luciano has the characteristics of being very good when he can work with the players for a long time, but less so if he has to choose them, train them for a few days and send them immediately on the field. We remain convinced that this is the case, although Spalletti has legitimately claimed to think differently: “The coach’s dress suits me very well, I have to learn quickly”. The problem is that time – the first half – has already expired. And a disaster occurred.
Gravina’s Apologies
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At least Spalletti apologized. Gravina looked for excuses. And he diverted the responsibility elsewhere, far from himself anyway. Under his management, Italy won a European Championship but, after the great night at Wembley, the fans of the national team were plunged into a nightmare. We were scandalized by the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia – a failure that cost Tavecchio his seat – and we also managed to miss out on Qatar 2022, eliminated by North Macedonia. A defeat that did not cause earthquakes, neither at the top of the Football Federation nor around Mancini’s bench. Now comes this new sensational setback, the second in two years. And yet…
obstacles to the national team?
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Yet the federal president does not take responsibility: he distributes it to others. Fairly, to everyone, and never mind if nothing is left for him. It is the fault of foreigners, for example: “In Italy 67 percent of players are not Italian.” As if only the English played in England, or only the Spanish in Spain. Not to mention the national teams – for example France or Switzerland, but the discussion could even extend beyond Europe, in particular to Brazil and world champion Argentina – who are forced to recall almost all their players from other countries and other continents every time they have to play a match. Another culprit: the calendar. “There are rules that do not favor the development of our football and despite this everyone wants to reduce the space for the national teams,” says Gravina. But is it only Italy that does not have time to work? Did De la Fuente and Yakin, the two coaches who gave us a lesson in football in this European Championship, have more players at their disposal than Spalletti? Or is the crowded calendars – determined exclusively by FIFA and UEFA (of which Gravina is vice-president) – a problem common to the entire world? Only for our footballers have the Nations League, the Conference League, the Club World Cup, and other Champions League matches been added in recent years?
solutions for italy
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The truth is that, after having seen the Azzurri at the European Championships, and having listened to the voices of the protagonists, we are worried. Italy, this Italy, risks not even qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. An immediate turnaround is needed, but can the same men who caused this disaster provide it? Gravina raises a wall around himself, almost annoyed by the criticisms that are being leveled at his management and that of Spalletti. He talks about a project that looks to the future, as if in the recent past there hadn’t already been two projects, miserably shipwrecked: a World Cup and a European Championship. And he talks about his prospects at the helm of the Football Federation as if there should be a follow-up even after the expiration of his mandate, in March of next year. In 2014, Abete and Prandelli resigned a few minutes after the defeat against Uruguay that cost us elimination in the preliminary round in Brazil (and to think that was the last match we played in a World Cup). In 2017, Tavecchio quit seven days after the historic and terrible 0-0 against Sweden that denied us qualification for Russia 2018. Gravina: “I don’t listen to the instrumental criticisms that refer to my resignation”. Better to talk about too many foreigners and that calendar that is our enemy.
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2024-06-30 21:46:13
#Spalletti #Gravina #apologies #Italy #risking #World #Cup
