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After getting through the first test in style, Gennaro Gattuso’s Italy flew to Hungary to continue their World Cup pursuit. They landed in the early afternoon, and the Azzurri went straight to the Nagyerdei Stadion for a quick observation of the pitch for tomorrow’s game (20:45 CEST) against Israel, with second place in Group I up for grabs. The team led by Ran Ben Shimon are three points ahead of Italy, having played an extra game, and are fresh off a convincing win on Friday night against Moldova. Gattuso had this to say: "They have won six in a row and have only lost one in seven, and they didn’t deserve to lose against Norway. It will be a tricky game, we are playing a team with quality players that aren’t hugely physical, but very capable in transition. We must have respect for them and not underestimate them. We must continue with a good performance to keep this enthusiasm until June."
The game against Israel has been spoken about a lot in these past few days, and for reasons that go beyond sport: "I am a man of peace, and it hurts me seeing people and children losing their lives. We are here to play our game, but we have respect and feel pain for what’s going on."
TWO CENTRE-FORWARDS. Two strikers worked against Estonia. Retegui and Kean showed they could work together well: two goals and an assist for the first and an "almost" brace for the Fiorentina striker. They have competitive ruthlessness and an eye for goal, and it's no coincidence that they were the two best scorers in Serie A last year: "They work very well together," said Gattuso, not ruling out the possibility of moving Kean to the wing, "and they give us depth. The problem, however, is not whether to play one or two attackers; what will be important is how we play in their half and what we do after losing the ball."
From Raspadori to Cambiaso, the coach also saw great impact from the bench against Estonia: "We should congratulate those who came on on Friday; they provided fresh energy. With five substitutions, you get to change 45% of the players. We have strong players on the bench, and that can be an added value."
ITALIAN VOLLEYBALL, BASKETBALL, AND SINNER. Before takeoff, the Azzurri followed the Women's Volleyball World Championship final on their phones, celebrating when Italy won that final point. Gattuso also offered his congratulations to the girls and to the coach Julio Velasco for winning a gold medal for the first time in 23 years: "They achieved a great feat. For the second time, we are world champions in women's volleyball, and it is an immense joy. It was nice to see our guys celebrating their victory." A thought then also went to the Italian basketball team, eliminated in the round of 16 of the European Championship by Slovenia ("too bad, Pozzecco did a great job") and to Jannik Sinner, who is playing in the US Open final with Alcaraz tonight: "We will all be cheering for him."
TONALI. Until a few days ago, Sandro Tonali seemed to be out for the first two matches of the new Gattuso era due to the shoulder injury he suffered on August 25th in the match against Liverpool. But the Newcastle midfielder was desperate to respond to the coach's call-up, so he gritted his teeth, and played against Estonia, putting in an excellent performance: "In Bergamo, it was important not to fall apart after the first sixty minutes, which we played almost entirely in one half, but without being able to score. After we got the opener, we started flowing and it was a different game. We are happy with what we did on Friday," he said in the press conference. "However, tomorrow will be a whole other story. We are facing a team with strong players; we must not underestimate anyone. The important thing is to win, then we'll think about goal difference, the play-offs, and Norway."
Gattuso was the idol of his childhood, a player he compared himself to when many were likening him to another World Cup champion like Andrea Pirlo: "For me, he has always been a role model. We've talked a lot these past few days, and I'm happy that he took the job. He has given us a sense of desire, ruthlessness, and positivity, and he has made us understand that we are strong players."
