Spalletti’s analysis after the Euro defeat against Switzerland began with an admission of responsibility, tied to his role, but soon turned into a rather direct critique of the team and its limitations, both mental and physical: “Last time (against Croatia, editor’s note) I thought I was responsible for pushing them too hard with training and demands. This time, I gave them time to recover and made some changes. Last time, I blamed myself for not rotating enough because we hadn’t maintained a high level of intensity, and that was partly due to how our league season ended. But I don’t want to lean on excuses. During this period, we tried to train at an intensity level necessary for these strong recoveries, but in that respect, things weren’t completely satisfactory. Of course, these are players I selected.”
The summer, it seems, brought reflection and perhaps advice to the coach. “I had a terrible summer, thinking about the last game of the Euros,” Spalletti admitted during the first training camp at Coverciano after the summer’s disaster in Germany.
Ahead lies the daunting Nations League challenge against France, the World Cup runners-up, coming off a less disappointing Euro campaign compared to the Azzurri but still tainted by a semifinal elimination against Spain.
Spalletti’s mea culpa at Coverciano was clear this time, without excuses or shifting blame. “I feel responsible for what happened. The players are completely absolved from this responsibility, as I told them today as well: I put too much pressure on them and didn’t give them time to enjoy wearing the Azzurri jersey.”
These statements reflect a deep introspective analysis but also likely stem from the awareness that he will have to move forward with largely the same group of players that suffered the German debacle.
At stake is the coach’s own future with the national team. While it’s true that Federation President Gravina renewed his trust in Spalletti after the Euros, it’s equally true that the Azzurri’s collapse prompted the same president to bring forward the elective federal assembly to November 4th, where it will be decided if he will be granted another term or replaced. If Gravina is ousted, even a misstep in the Nations League could be fatal for Spalletti. The match against France might already be decisive.
