- Italy crashed out of the tournament after a shock 2-0 defeat by Switzerland
- Post-match, boss Luciano Spalletti delivered an eyebrow-raising interview
- LISTEN to It’s All Kicking Off! EUROS DAILY: England don’t look like a team… they need a fire lit under them
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti looked to blame Inter Milan for his side’s early Euro 2024 elimination, hinting the club’s Serie A title victory affected some players.
The Azzurri slumped out of the tournament in limp fashion with goals from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas sending them home in the Round of 16 on Saturday.
Post-match, Spalletti delivered a bizarre press conference in which he criticised the lack of time to prepare and admitted he would have to tear up his squad.
But, bizarrely, Italian champions Inter also found themselves in the firing line.
Five players from the club – Federico Dimarco, Matteo Darmian, Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi and Nicolo Barella – had been named in Spalletti’s 26-man travelling group while three of them started the game against the Swiss.
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti partly blamed Inter Milan for his side’s Euro 2024 knockout
The Azzurri crashed out in the last-16 after their limp 2-0 defeat by Switzerland on Saturday
‘It all began with how [Serie A] ended,’ Spalletti said.
‘Inter Milan won the title [with five games to spare] and I made sure they were still being professional. The manager Simone Inzaghi kept training them in a certain way because I was in touch with him often.
‘But perhaps you are not as applied once you win the league so early.’
Spalletti, who was appointed last September as Roberto Mancini’s replacement, will keep his job, the head of the Italian FA has confirmed.
‘Spalletti has our full trust and we will move forward with him. It is not thinkable to change head coach and stop this project,’ Gabriele Gavrina said.
Nicolo Barella (centre) was one of five Inter players named in Spalletti’s 26-man squad
Alessandro Bastoni, also of the Serie A champions, was distraught after the final whistle
Despite Italy’s early exit, Spalletti retains the support of the head of the Italian FA
‘This is a big disappointment. We are all responsible and we won’t abandon the project started with Spalletti.’
Italy only sealed their spot in the first knockout round in Germany after beating Albania, losing to Spain and scoring a last-gasp winner against Croatia in their final group game – but notably delivered three underwhelming performances.
‘All the other coaches of Italy had 20 or 30 matches before a major tournament, but I had 10, and we were under fire to win,’ Spalletti added.
‘That’s only right but I probably need to get to know my team a bit better. We have had a number of players with injuries who I was also counting on.’
