Luciano Spalletti acknowledged that he “did not make the difference” during his time as Italy coach and admitted he should have potentially selected players who were in better physical condition, following a challenging 2-0 victory over Moldova that marked the end of his period in charge.
Spalletti`s departure was already confirmed after Friday`s 3-0 loss to Norway.
He had asked his team for a win in his final game, and they delivered against Moldova in Reggio Emilia, though not without considerable effort. Giacomo Raspadori opened the scoring just before halftime, and Andrea Cambiaso secured the 2-0 result, despite Moldova creating several chances of their own.
“It`s true, we struggled again tonight,” Spalletti commented to RAI Sport. “However, there are many factors involved. We saw a repeat of what we`d observed previously.”
“I kept faith with this group, but I found them severely tired at this point in the season. Maybe bringing in players in better physical shape would have helped, but the fact that nearly all 25 players were in a similar state indicates the intense impact of the season on everyone.”
“One of the main issues was playing the very first game, the most difficult in the group against Norway in Oslo, right at the end of the club season. That was just bad luck with the schedule.”
“This team will be significantly different and in much better condition by September, so the timing certainly didn`t favour us,” he added.
When asked if the players share responsibility for poor performances like the one against Norway, Spalletti was direct:
“When you are the coach of the national team, you can`t make excuses, because you are the one who chooses the players. If you see the players are exhausted, you should look for others,” he stated.
“I selected these players because I believed they could perform. We saw the strain and physical toll on them after the Norway match, and that contributed to the difficulties.”
A new coach will lead Italy for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers in September, as Spalletti`s tenure concludes after less than two years.
“We are certainly not leaving my successor with a feeling of great enthusiasm, despite the positive reaction from the fans,” he remarked with a sad smile. “The coach needs to make a difference, the players need to make a difference, and unfortunately, I did not make the difference.”
