Spoleti: Italy Must Either Succeed or Go Home After Painful Loss to Spain

On the morning of June 25, Italy will face Croatia in their final group match of the European Championship, a decisive clash for qualification. Ahead of the game, Italy’s head coach, Roberto Mancini, addressed the media in a press conference, discussing potential tactical changes and the team’s current mindset.

In the previous match against Spain, Mancini stuck with the starting lineup that had won against Albania, but he was forced to make all five substitutions by the 64th minute. Despite the painful defeat, Mancini believes in the team’s ability to bounce back in the final group stage fixture.

Mancini commented, “After losing to Spain, I’ve considered making changes. Perhaps I made a mistake not to adjust our formation more quickly, as I thought it could be risky. Of course, we’re aware of public opinion. When tactics don’t work, we’ll certainly make alterations.”

With Spain unbeaten in two matches, the other three teams in Group B still have a chance to advance. Mancini is well aware that only a victory will secure Italy’s progression, and the consequences of a loss could be dire. He stated, “Some games determine whether this journey becomes a great story or one quickly forgotten. It depends on these crucial encounters. Our intentions weren’t clear against Spain, and now we must prove ourselves again through action. As I said before, apart from technical errors, our attitude against Spain was wrong. The key to victory in this match will be our ability to control the game, because the more possession we have, the more confidence we gain. So, against Croatia, the more we can dominate the ball, the better.”