A report in the Italian press claims Luciano Spalletti has a poor rapport with the national team squad, and calling up Nicolo Fagioli was one of the decisions that didn’t sit well with the group.
The Azzurri endured a torrid Euro 2024 campaign culminating in an elimination from the Round of 16 at the hands of Switzerland.
The defending champions put up one of their most hollow displays in recent memory in the 0-2 defeat, leaving fans and observers alike to question their determination.
According to La Repubblica via IlBianconero, Spalletti and the players weren’t on good terms throughout the tournament.
The former Roma, Inter and Napoli coach found himself without a leader following the retirements of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.
This prompted the rise of small factions in the locker room, which took its all on the team’s chemistry. The source talks about a lack of commitment on the pitch, and possibly even in training which lacked intensity according to some players.
Moreover, the report mentions Fagioli’s call-up as one of the decisions that fueled the rift between Spalletti and the squad.
That’s because some Italy players saw the Juventus midfielder as a ‘snitch’ who informed on Sandro Tonali in the infamous betting case, although this isn’t true, as the source tells it.
Fagioli served a seven-month ban and managed to return just in time to join the Azzurri. On the other hand, Tonali’s suspension has yet to expire.
The report also mentions Spalletti’s sudden tactical changes and his insistence on deploying Giovanni Di Lorenzo as other decisions that irked the Italy players.
He is a snitch. That’s what he did. Players did make the team because they were out of form. What type of form was fagoli in by not playing for the whole season? It’s a baffling selection. Honestly this report coupled with spalettis outburst at the reporter is eerily similar to Allegri and the coppa antics and the report that followed that. Keeping spaletti would be a mistake – rushed appointment after Mancini left. And I’ll be honest about di Lorenzo. He was horrific and a liability. It was shocking how poorly he played. So I completely understand why players would be irked by him being a given on the match day line up. Also, Zaccagni sends you thru to the knockout stage and you reward him by playing rl shawarry instead of him? This whole things reminds me of Ventura as coach.
Agreed. Spaletti was a good positive choice….on paper. If what`s above is true, which makes sense, the players had 0 morale. Of course the FIGC completely ignores what needs to be done.
not even on paper, all he managed is to win a single Scudetto and the ruZZian league. If this is enough to be ome the coach of the champions of Europe, then I am shocked by the low standards the FIGC has. El Scardavy is a joke. And Di Lorenzo as captain is a disaster.
As to Fagioli – he got hooked up by Tonali, and the evidence against Tonali was there before Fagioli got interrogated. Not sure where the snitch part is here. Or did Fagioli had to sink his career by getting imprisoned? Tonali should have thought twice before even trying to hook up others onto his addiction
The players play for the shirt. Regardless of the coach. Spalletti was a disaster but the players let themselves down
And we have to be honest. We do not have world class players beyond donnarumma. Some good. None great. Many mediocre. No baggios, vieris, del pieros, pirlos, nestas, canavaros, maldinis. Honestly the only player besides Gigi that looked competent was Calafiori.
Apparently he didn’t snitch so a pretty weak excuse to sook by the players. I’m sure the main protagonists would have been the likes of Jorginho and Cristante who would have been threatened by Fagioli being a better player than both of them. Shows there is a lack of leadership in this squad. How we miss Chiellini, Bonucci, De Rossi etc.
He literally named Tonali when being investigated. That’s why Tonali was also banned. So yeah. He snitched. Also Jorginho and Cristante have little to fear right now in regards to fagoli he hasn’t shown that he is light years ahead of them. losing the heart of the team in chellini and bonnucci. Losing danger man insignie. Losing verratti- massively underrated last euros because he did all the dirty work cleaning up in midfield and we had no player like that profile filling that role in this team (tonalli? Maybe.). And expectations high given we overachieved last euros. England lost that final. Italy didn’t win it. England were obliterating us up until the early goal and then for some reason completely backed off the rest of entire game. Emerson was completely overmatched and for some reason they stopped attacking that side. Horrific coaching by southgate.
Hey Matt,
The players are professionals and regardless of whether Faggioli snitched or not, both shouldnt of done what they did, dont they earn enough money?
Its clear that this team does have talent and there’s plenty of talent coming up the ranks however, this happens in football too often, the players, if they have some reason to not play well such as not liking the coach etc is what I really hate about the game.
The coach is the head of the team, players need to follow the coach…end of story.
Perhaps Spalleti was trying to be liked by the players, spent to much time on creating a rapport (which he mentioned on a few occassion) then rather being more firmer with them?
Its literally a discgrace to the shirt with how some of these players have behaved and in turn played. I sort of gahtered there had to be more than playing poor because Italia is much better than what they showed at this comp.
I agreed all else you mentioned, probably some of these players are too precious as well to stick to the role given????
Take care my friend.
Snitch or not, I cannot understand calling a player after months of absence because of non-technical issues. If it is Baggio, Del Piero, Rossi or anyone who already has their feet in the game and has something to offer for the rest of the team then it is ok. This is fagioli, what’s so special about him? He is still unproven even in a club level, has been away for almost half of the campaign, and we have plenty of senior players around.
Listen, Spalletti is a genious and pherhaps the best system manager and talent developer that Italy has ever had. That does not mean he is the best manager for the natioanl team. Spalletti knows one style and that is his style, he does not compromise. The result? Succeed or burn, hard. He have burned alot during his coaching career. To me he is to system based, there is no time to drill the nationale to his style off football. He is not pragmatic enough and he is to complicated for the nationale job. I therefore don`t think he is the ideal candidate for the job.
He keeps changing tactics ,Darmian should substitute Di Lorenzo Chiesa on the left Barella on the right Scaramacca can’t hold a ball bad passes better if he played without centre forward. And included zaccan Spaletti is a no no for the national team too many excuses and he cannot communicate with his players on with the media he can give excuses,hopefully they will change him ,or Italy r out of the world cup