Luciano Spalletti must put the Nazionale, reigning European champion, back on track. Italy are in third place in their Euro 2024 qualifying group with just three points from two matches.
His main mission, in the longer term, is to make people forget the humiliations of 2018 and 2022, two years when Italy shone by their absence from the World Cup.
Chance of the calendar, the former coach of Naples who succeeded Roberto Mancini, who resigned on August 13 and has since been appointed head of Saudi Arabia, leads the Nazionale for the first time against the team which plunged on 24 March 2022 an entire country in deep distress.
Beaten 1-0 in Palermo in the semi-finals of the Euro zone play-offs, Mancini’s Italy missed its second consecutive edition of the World Cup, unheard of in its glorious history.
Eighteen months later, this immense disappointment is not yet digested.
“We must remove the bitterness of recent results which have left their mark and produce football that pleases everyone, football that resembles a strong football nation that is Italy,” declared Luciano Spalletti at a press conference. .
The Nazionale goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, present alongside his coach in front of the press, recognizes that he and his teammates also feel “still a little anger”. The PSG player added that this match “won’t be easy. We know that it is difficult to play on this pitch,” in reference to the only match played by Italy in Skopje, a laborious victory (3-2) in October 2016 as part of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. .
“These are always difficult matches, because they are a very playful team that takes advantage of the slightest opportunity,” added Juventus midfielder Manuel Locatelli.
For its part, North Macedonia is at its lowest. It remains on a 7-0 rout against England, synonymous with 4th place in Group C with three points like Italy, but with one more game.
