"We have to thank the lads for the performance, because we were only lacking a goal in the first half. The lads have shown such a great attitude over these days, they worked really hard. The first game is done, they deserve all the credit, and now we have to prepare for the next match. We played with two strikers, we knew that we could allow a few counter-attacks, because we wanted to attack and that means taking a few risks at this level."
"Playing against a side that was a little weaker than us, with all due respect, it was only fair to take this approach. Nothing can ever be taken for granted, and they deserve credit for their attitude throughout. We have an objective, which is to make the people happy and give enthusiasm back to the Italians. Everyone knows that I love a team that fights hard, because you can make mistakes, but you need the right attitude. Now we prepare for Monday."
Italy began Gattuso's tenure with a 5-0 World Cup qualifying victory over Estonia in Bergamo, with all five goals coming in the second half from Mateo Retegui (two), Moise Kean, Giacomo Raspadori and Alessandro Bastoni. The win leaves Italy six points behind Group I leaders Norway but with a game in hand. The side adopted an attacking setup with two strikers, accepting counter-attack risks. The squad emphasized hard work, hunger and humility throughout the week. The result marked the first time Italy scored three or more goals in a match since September 2021. Retegui returned to Bergamo after a July move to Al-Qadisiyah.
Read at Soccer News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]