Italy coach Luciano Spalletti says Euro 2024 has not seen the best of his side yet, but they are ready to make their country proud.
Italy needed a last-gasp equaliser against Croatia to scrape through Group B as runners-up with four points, having been outclassed by Spain and tested by Albania.
The defending champions will face Switzerland in Berlin at 5pm BST on Saturday with a place in the quarter-final at stake.
“A new, different tournament is starting with the knockout stage and I can see my players with different faces.
“We were in a very difficult group and qualification has certainly taken a weight off their shoulders,” Spalletti told a pre-match media conference.
“We have to do more than we have done so far. The draw put us in a tough group and the players struggled with that.
Italy’s walk around in Berlin.
Spalletti told @SkySport that Dimarco is out ❌ not available v. Switzerland.
More in his press conference shortly. @footballitalia pic.twitter.com/z2lh0Ll0qW
— Lorenzo Bettoni (@LoreBetto) June 28, 2024
“Now I expect to see the players a little more relaxed because it’s a knockout match. There are no permutations; the time is now. We can only make it to the next round if we win this game.
“We have not managed to show all our potential so far, or maybe we only did so in a few moments. We deserved to qualify, even if we needed a last-gasp goal, but we need to take it up a notch, especially in terms of personality.”
The Olympiastadion is a place which holds fond memories for the Azzurri, having lifted the World Cup there in 2006, with Gianluigi Buffon now a member of Spalletti’s coaching staff.
The Italy coach told a pre-match media conference: “Beside the fact that everyone remembers the moment we enjoyed in Berlin when we won, on the coach with us we have Gigi who has told everyone about it.
“We have been reliving the excitement which we enjoyed watching from home back in 2006.”
Italians in for a test
Spalletti knows Italy are in for a stiff test against the side which ousted France from Euro 2020 on penalties three years ago this week.
“The Switzerland coach (Murat Yakin) is very good. You can see how well organised they are on the pitch,” Spalletti said.
“They have quality, they have strength. They have great players at international level like Granit Xhaka. But I think we can compete with all of that if we are at our best.”
Italy will be without the suspended Riccardo Calafiori, with Daniel Maldini set to deputise, and though Alessandro Bastoni should be fit, left-back Federico Dimarco will miss out.
“Mancini will play in Calafiori’s place. He has experience and it’s better to play with a right footed defender and a left footed defender”
-Spalletti via presser 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Pam8zkvzrJ
— Italian Football TV (@IFTVofficial) June 28, 2024
Spalletti also revealed he hasn’t decided whether to deploy Gianluca Scamacca or Mateo Retegui up top, adding: “Scamacca has the potential to hurt any team; he can score at any moment because he has creativity and strength.
“A few times I have joked with him saying that he is lazy. In reality he runs a lot too but he has to improve when we don’t have the ball.
“I don’t know who will start between him and Retegui but both will be involved.”
