The National team reached Madrid in the late afternoon and the Azzurri carried out the usual walk around on the pitch of the ‘Santiago Bernabeu’, which tonight (8.45 pm – live on Rai 1) will host the match between Italy and Spain valid for the 2018 World Cup qualifiers in Russia. In the meantime, the match lost one of his protagonists: in yesterday morning’s training session in Coverciano, Giorgio Chiellini suffered an injury to his right calf that forced him to skip tonight’s and Tuesday’s matches with Israel.
“Chiellini’s injury was not needed – Giampiero Ventura began at a press conference from Madrid – but it does not change the decisions we had made. We lost a great player, sorry he isn’t there, but we can play an important game even without him ”.
After the defeat a year ago in his friendly debut with France, Ventura has collected 9 consecutive useful results (7 successes and two draws with Spain and Germany) and hopes tonight to be able to extend the positive streak by 4 wins:
“I am happy to be able to play this match – reiterates the coach – and it is exciting to be able to qualify as first in the standings with equal points. I am convinced that the conditions exist to do something surprising. It’s an important match, in an important stadium against important players. This means that an important performance is needed. But in a football match there is the possibility of putting any team in the world in difficulty, it is a match that is extremely important and we will play with the desire to be protagonists ”.
On the Spanish front there is great respect for the Azzurri, as confirmed by the words spoken at the press conference by coach Julen Lopetegui “Italy is a great team, to win you need Spain of the best days”, Andres Iniesta “it’s always nice to face the best players in the world and try to beat them “and Sergio Ramos, convinced that tonight’s” is one of the best matches you can see in the world “. Without announcing either the form or the formation that will take the field, Ventura makes it clear with a smile on his lips that Italy will face the game without fear: “I went to the field and I did not find any crocodiles or snakes, the real problem is the opponents, who are of great quality “.
As usual, sitting next to the coach at the press conference is Gigi Buffon:
“Beyond the module, the balance and compactness with which we will face the race and will do the two phases, attack and defense, is important. During this week we have worked hard to try to put the coach’s dictates to good use and I hope that tomorrow we will be able to find that unscrupulousness and courage necessary to put into practice everything we have tried and to make a capital performance “.
The blue captain is optimistic, convinced that Italy has what it takes to worry Iniesta and his companions:
“Ours is a young team, wiped out by the pressure of such an important match. I hope this climate will accompany us on the pitch tomorrow, we will need it. I am confident in the fact that we will play a good match, in Spain I have often seen resounding defeats, but I hope that we will be able to play as a great team. Leaving the Bernabeu after a good test would be an injection of confidence ”.
