After speaking to them on the phone and having met them at their respective clubs in the past few weeks, Gennaro Gattuso has finally been able to embrace his Azzurri. This afternoon, the Head Coach will lead his first training session at Coverciano, hoping to boost the National Team as they will fight for World Cup Qualification in the upcoming months.

BELONGING AND SACRIFICE.
Gattuso spoke in the Main Hall of the Centro Tecnico Federale: “I am fired up, I feel the responsibility on my shoulders, but I am not scared at all. I want the players to feel a sense of belonging, enthusiasm, and desire to sacrifice themselves for their teammates. We can’t go into panic mode after ten minutes if we are drawing 0-0, we have to stick together. At this moment in time, we need 27-28 players as part of the group. Italy’s strengths have always been the team spirit, character, and the desire to fight. We have to find a way to get these aspects back. We know that we can’t afford to make any more mistakes, the standings tell us this”.

THANK YOU BERGAMO.
The away defeat in Norway this June, followed by the home win against Moldova, made the Azzurri’s journey an uphill struggle from the get-go. To keep hopes alive of finishing first in the group, they will have to win the upcoming matches while also scoring as many goals as possible: “But our track record shows that we haven’t had many big wins; you can’t prepare for a match thinking about scoring lots of goals.” The road to the World Cup will begin on Friday in Bergamo against Estonia, in a sold-out stadium for the Azzurri’s return: “I want to thank everyone who bought a ticket; we need this. And even though it’s still more than a month away, I’m making an appeal for the match in Udine against Israel: we need our people and the passion of our fans.” The coach is not indifferent to the situation in Gaza, nor could he be: “I am a man of peace, and it pains me to see civilians and children caught in the crossfire. We must do our job, but I hope a peaceful solution is found, not only in Israel but wherever there is war. The FIGC is working tirelessly to find solutions and ensure that the match in Udine is seamless, including from a safety point of view.”

FAITH IN OUR YOUTH
In Serie A, the number of Italians on the pitch continues to dwindle; consequently, so does the pool of players eligible for selection. Young players in particular are finding it harder to break through: “I hope to see more Italians playing in our league in the future, but we’re not in too poor form. Right now, we need to focus on making the most of our players’ potential.” That said, there is not a lack of talent. In his first call-ups, Gattuso has decided to bring three young players into the squad. They combine technical ability with an impressive physical presence: “These are players who are ready to go; I haven’t handed them anything. I believe they have very specific qualities and can fit into this squad well. Fabbian is similar to Frattesi, he gets into the box well, has strength, and great timing with his runs. Esposito brings both physique and technique, as does Leoni, who, despite only being 18, shows remarkable character, is fearless, and knows how to play in open space.”

DONNARUMMA AND CHIESA. 
After being shown the door by Paris Saint-Germain, Donnarumma quickly found a new club. The Azzurri goalkeeper is in talks to join Manchester City, and the fact he won’t be left on the sidelines is excellent news for the national team: “This afternoon he’ll undergo his medical and then sign with City,” Gattuso announced, before going on to explain that Chiesa’s absence from the squad was a decision made together with him: “I spoke to Fede, he wasn’t ready to come back because he wanted to feel 100%”

DEFENDING WITH FOUR, BUILDING WITH THREE.
Gattuso’s Azzurri will need to show character and a sense of belonging, but it would not do the coach justice to solely describe him as a great motivator. His teams have always had a clear identity: “We’ll build from the back with three but defend with four. Otherwise, we’ll just be left marking our reference points man-to-man. Playing with five at the back leads to a block that sits too deep; it’s a style of play that doesn’t feel like mine.  Formations are mostly shaped by the key positions; we choose players who fit what we want to do. People always talk about tactics, but today it’s difficult to play in Serie A; it’s always one-on-one.

COLLABORATION WITH THE CLUBS.
It’s been a long summer for Gattuso, who, alongside his assistants Riccio and Bonucci, travelled across Italy: “I have to thank the clubs for how they welcomed us over the past month and a half. It was important to have a conversation with the directors. There are still ten clubs left; the tour of the training centres isn’t over yet.” As he announced on the day of his official presentation, even players who aren’t fully fit will stay at Coverciano. This is the case for Scamacca, who, like Tonali, joined the camp with a minor physical issue: “I thank Atalanta because they have really shown with their actions that they want to help us. This support is essential for me and for everyone working with me. I don’t want to make things difficult for the players or the clubs, but here we have the right resources to manage and monitor the players.”

LIST OF CALLED UP PLAYERS

Goalkeepers: Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham);

Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Raoul Bellanova (Atalanta), Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Giovanni Leoni (Liverpool), Gianluca Mancini (Roma);

Midfielders: Nicolò Barella (Inter), Giovanni Fabbian (Bologna), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Nicolò Rovella (Lazio), Sandro Tonali (Newcastle);

Forwards: Francesco Pio Esposito (Inter), Moise Kean (Fiorentina), Daniel Maldini (Atalanta), Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna), Matteo Politano (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Atletico Madrid), Mateo Retegui (Al-Qadsiah), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio).