On the eve of the most important match, the one that could save Italian football or send it back to the abyss, Gennaro Gattuso wasn't afraid to shoulder the full weight of responsibility our national team carries. Ahead of the World Cup play-off against Northern Ireland , scheduled for tomorrow at 8:45 PM at the Gewiss Stadium in Bergamo, the Italian coach addressed a press conference to emphasize the need to secure a place in the next World Cup.
"I'm still young," Gattuso said, "but I feel like this is the most important match of my career. I have the country on my shoulders , and for seven months people have been telling me , 'Take us to the World Cup.'" The pressure is huge, but I'm used to it. "It's a match we need to prepare for both tactically and mentally. Easy matches no longer exist, and the players are aware of that."
The Italian coach then recalled the great disappointment of missing out on two World Cups, reiterating the true value of the Italian national team. "Not participating in two World Cups was a shock. The responsibility, however, shouldn't be placed on the fans , but on us, the people involved . These were two incredible disappointments, but today we must focus on our goal, which is to qualify for this World Cup. We must return to where we were protagonists for so many years."
Gattuso then concluded with an analysis of his opponents, who only appear to be underdogs: "We absolutely must not underestimate our opponents. They've come this far for a reason . They have an important component: venom . Northern Ireland play vertically, often kicking the ball into the box. For them, every ball is their last. We must have the same motivation as them."
(Unioneonline/ns)