The words of Lorenzo Insigne
Lorenzo Insigne returned to talk about the national team in La Repubblica: “Only in Italy those who go to play far away are automatically excluded from the tour and it is not clear why. The South Americans who are in Serie A can fly 13 hours each time, why are we not allowed to?”
“I don’t feel like an ex – he added – not yet. You never say goodbye to the national team, not even after the age of 40. And I’m only 33. You don’t say goodbye to the national team shirt, you always do your best to deserve it. Otherwise you follow as a fan.”
“We shouldn’t just go back to the World Cup. The national team there will have to play as protagonists again, with the ambition of being able to win them. We are Italy, 4 times world champion. Here in Canada, the nation that will host them along with the USA and Mexico, there is already an atmosphere of anticipation, with billboards on the streets even though there is a year and a half to go. Football in America is not yet followed like other national sports: baseball, basketball, football. But the movement is growing and the driving force of the World Cup will be extraordinary, with the arrival of the champions. I hope that Italy can play at least one match in Toronto: in Canada there is a warm and large community of ours.”
“The two missed World Cups are a stain, even on my career. I am grateful to Prandelli for having brought me at least to Brazil, but I was still a kid and my only world championship adventure was not as a protagonist. With Ventura and Mancini, however, we failed to qualify and it was above all the second time that hurt. We were the European champions, with Switzerland we were also condemned by episodes and bad luck. Then we sank in the play-offs. We couldn’t give ourselves an explanation in the locker room. I hear about a talent crisis and maybe there’s some truth to it. But our history says otherwise: champions have always been born in Italy and we just need to help them more to emerge, as happens abroad. Clubs must invest in the growth of young people, coaches must give them space and trust. Even for the national team and it is already happening, with Spalletti’s arrival on the bench of the national team. The coach is opening the doors of the Italian club to young people and the results are starting to be seen. The progress in the Nations League has been excellent so far and it is important, in view of the qualifications for the World Cup.”
