De Ketelaere: ‘It will be nice to face’ Atalanta teammate Scalvini in Belgium vs. Italy
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 06: Charles De Ketelaere #17 of Belgium applauds fans after the 4-1 victory during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 16 match between USA and Belgium at Seattle Stadium on July 06, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)
Charles De Ketelaere is looking forward to facing his Atalanta teammate Giorgio Scalvini when Belgium host Italy in Sunday’s Nations League decider.
With quotes via the Corriere dello Sport, the forward told Sky he wasn’t surprised by Italy’s 3-1 win over France at San Siro, which put them top of Group A1.
“Italy haven’t surprised me. They have strong players and they’ve grown mentally,” De Ketelaere said. “They’ve beaten Turkey twice, and the win against France has given them a lot of confidence.”
De Ketelaere on Scalvini and his Belgium role
Belgium need to win in Brussels to reach the quarter-finals, while a draw is enough for Mancini’s side. The game kicks off at 20:45 CET [19:45 GMT].
De Ketelaere scored in Belgium’s 2-1 comeback win over Turkey in Izmir on Thursday, playing as a false nine. He’ll now come up against Scalvini, who has been playing in a back four for Italy.
“He’s always played in a back three, but he’s showing he’s strong in a back four too. He’s also a friend of mine, and it’ll be nice to face him.”
The former Milan forward also explained how his role with Belgium differs from the one he plays at Atalanta, where Maurizio Sarri uses him behind Nikola Krstović.
“Here I play more like a genuine striker, while at Atalanta I’m more of a No 10 now. I like scoring goals because I’m a striker, but with Atalanta I try to create something and I’m on the ball more. It’s a bit different.”
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