Italy coach Luciano Spalletti mentioned he took full accountability for his group’s exit from the European Championship within the first knockout spherical after an insipid 2-0 loss in opposition to Switzerland.
Nonetheless, the 65-year-old former Napoli boss additionally complained he had not had sufficient matches through which to mix his group forward of the defeat, which marked Italy’s first elimination earlier than the quarterfinal stage of the Euros in 20 years.
“I’ve the accountability,” Spalletti mentioned on the post-match information convention.
“We failed due to my group choice, it’s by no means right down to the gamers.”
Spalletti mentioned, nevertheless, that he didn’t have sufficient time to get to know the group higher.
All different coaches had 30 or much more video games with their groups earlier than the event began, he mentioned, including: “I solely had 10.”
He added: “There may be the potential for constructing one thing, but it surely takes a little bit extra time. I did not have numerous it, if we have a look at my predecessors virtually all of them had extra video games than me.”
Spalletti was appointed Italy’s nationwide group supervisor in August 2023, following the resignation of Roberto Mancini.
He made six modifications to his beginning lineup in opposition to the Swiss, however as an alternative of instilling power and creativity into the group, they appeared disjointed and with out invention, and barely managed a shot on aim.
Italy needed to play with out considered one of their most spectacular gamers in Germany, the suspended defender Riccardo Calafiori.
Targets in every half from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas gave the Swiss their first win over their southern neighbor for 31 years and arrange a quarterfinal in opposition to England or Slovakia in Düsseldorf on July 6.
“That aim at first of the second half reduce our legs, we weren’t very incisive,” Spalletti instructed reporters. “What made the distinction is the tempo, we had a tempo that was too inferior to them within the first half. Even within the particular person gamers there was a special tempo.
“Tempo and freshness at all times makes the distinction, I modified the gamers by letting them get better and perhaps in the mean time right here we aren’t in a position to do greater than this. World Cup? A dialogue that will probably be executed later, we want extra legs and extra tempo.
Italy got here in second in group B behind Spain, after a final gasp equaliser in opposition to Croatia to grab a 1-1 draw which saved the defending champions in Germany, and into Saturday’s spherical of 16 first sport in Berlin.
Data from Reuters and The Related Press contributed to this report.