"The coach has many qualities, but one of the ones I recognize in him most is his ability to keep the team away from negative thoughts. During such a long break, there's the advantage of being able to work, but a break like this also creates a lot of fatigue, even mentally. The most important thing was to rediscover our enthusiasm. The coach asked us to do that, and we rediscovered it, otherwise you won't be able to turn a match against France around and try to win it."

Thus, on the eve of the fourth Nations League match, scheduled for tomorrow in Bologna against Turkey, Nicolò Barella takes stock of the Azzurri's efforts over the past few days. "We needed a bit of strength, some Cannonau," he jokes, as a recognized wine expert, " to regain some confidence" and recreate the atmosphere experienced at Wembley in 2020, "at that European Championship we won," and in which "it was the group that made the difference. Even now," adds Barella, "it must be the group that makes the difference; the word must be the group."

Which is also created by betting on young players, as Tarcisio Burgnich did, giving the current Italian national team coach Roberto Mancini his Serie A debut at the age of 16 in a Bologna-Cagliari match in the fall of 1981. "He gave me my debut here at 16," recalls the Italian coach. "It wasn't easy" to make such a choice, "but if a young player has ability, he must play. Only in this way can young players develop. I grew up in Bologna," continues the coach from Jesi, "I was a child. I love Bologna and the people of Bologna, it's always a pleasure to return" to this city where Cambiaghi also lives and plays, a player, Mancini concludes, "who I've always liked, even when he played for Empoli. I think he can be a great winger, we're working on it."

(Unioneonline)

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