Scalvini ahead of Belgium vs. Italy: ‘A few days’ rest is no excuse’
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 23: Giorgio Scalvini of Italy arrives before Italy training session at NY Red Bulls TG on March 23, 2024 in New York, New York. (Photo by Claudio Villa/Getty Images)
Giorgio Scalvini insists Italy can’t use their short recovery time as an excuse ahead of Sunday’s Nations League decider against Belgium in Brussels.
With quotes via the Corriere dello Sport, the Atalanta defender sat alongside Roberto Mancini at Italy’s pre-match press conference. Both sides played on Thursday: Italy beat France 3-1 at San Siro, while Belgium won 2-1 in Turkey.
“The first game wasn’t positive in terms of the result, but we did some good things in the second half in Rome too,” Scalvini said, referring to September’s 2-0 home defeat. “We believed in ourselves. Conviction is the most important thing, and tomorrow we’ll give everything with the right attitude.
“When one game finishes, you have to recover your energy and prepare as well as you can for the next one. We’ve had only a few days, but that’s no excuse, full stop. Tomorrow we’ll try to give our all.”
Scalvini on De Ketelaere
Scalvini will come up against his Atalanta teammate Charles De Ketelaere, who said he was looking forward to facing his friend.
“Charles is a great player. He’s a slightly unusual striker, because he’s good at shielding the ball but also good at dribbling and attacking space,” Scalvini said. “He’s also a great person, and we have a great bond, but tomorrow we’ll be opponents. Each of us will do everything we can to win the three points.
“It’s a game that can give us extra belief. It’s very important, and we care a lot about this competition.”
Italy need only a draw to reach the quarter-finals, while a win would guarantee top spot in Group A1. The game kicks off at 20:45 CET [19:45 GMT].
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