Federico Chiesa: My Goal Is to Reach the Top Again, Hoping to Prove Myself at Euro 2024

On June 16 at 03:00, Italy will face Albania in their first Group match of the European Championship. Italian forward Federico Chiesa is hoping that Euro 2024 will provide him with an opportunity to “bounce back to the top” after his career was affected by injuries.

Italy are the defending champions, having defeated England in a penalty shootout in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley Stadium in the summer of 2021. Chiesa was part of that squad and remains one of the few key players from three years ago, despite his career being disrupted by recurring injuries.

In an interview with UEFA’s official website, Chiesa said, “After Euro 2020, I wanted to be among the top figures in football, but unfortunately, I suffered an ACL tear and had a long recovery process. My goal has always been to return to my best level. I’m 26, and there’s still time. I want to prove with this tournament what kind of player I am.”

Chiesa scored in the semi-final against Spain at Euro 2020, another match decided on penalties. He added, “That goal brings back beautiful memories because it was a tough game, and we really went through a lot, but ultimately we made it to the final. Now a new competition begins, new challenges, and we must focus.”

Chiesa believes Italy can once again be an aspirational “dark horse.” He continued, “It’s funny how many doubts there were about our national team’s potential before the last Euros, and there are still doubts now. But we just go out and show what we can do. That’s what we wanted in the previous tournament, and we ended up winning. Our main goal now is to return to the World Cup, as Italy missed out on two, which shouldn’t have happened.”

“With the evolution of modern football, the philosophy of Italian football has also changed, and Spalletti is following that path, trying to keep possession, create chances while minimizing risks defensively. Personally, I play more as a center-forward for my club, but Spalletti gives me more freedom to cut in or stay wide.”

This wasn’t as evident in friendlies against Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina, where Spalletti was often seen urging Chiesa not to spend too much time on the wings.