Italian national team coach Antonio Conte spoke of the Azzurri’s final preparations prior to this summer’s European Championship, as they host Spain and travel to Germany for friendlies.
The Italian coach spent most of his press conference focused on his own future, having already announced his plans to step-down as head coach of the Italian national team; but also insisted that the Azzurri are improving, and will be ready for the summer’s tournament.
“The team has a lot of motivation at the moment,” Conte told reporters at his press conference.
“We’ve got a group of players who are improving and we will certainly close any gaps between us and some of the other strong teams.
“The bulk of the work as a coach is not technical or tactical, put trying to convey ideas and motivation to the team so they can give their best.”
Conte then addressed his decision to include Fiorentina’s Federico Bernardeschi as well as the Brazilian-born Jorginho in his roaster.
“Thankfully, there is a lot of desire to wear the Azzurri jersey,” he added.
“Everyone who is here has earned their spot.
“I called up Bernardeschi and Jorginho because of the message they sent by their form during league play.
“I want to see if they can be useful for the present because I believe they will be useful for the national team in the future. Bernardeschi is having an excellent year and he is here on those merits, this was not a gift, there is no time for that.”
The coach also briefly discussed his decision not to include Andrea Pirlo, as he had previously warned the Italian veteran that he may not be selected for the Euros.
“I did not call Andrea [Pirlo], I have nothing but respect for him, but I am looking for more eclectic players who can fill more roles,” Conte asserted.
“I am trying players who can play multiple roles and adapt to emergencies.
“We are two months out from the European Championships, these games and training sessions will help me to understand who fits best into this squad ”
Source: forzaitalianfootball.com