Italy-Northern Ireland: Rino Gattuso speaks to Rai: “Fear? Never”

A few hours before the kick-off of Italy-Northern Ireland this evening, Rino Gattuso spoke to Rai and reiterated to the team what they must do to overcome O’Neill’s team and go on to play on Tuesday against the winner of Wales-Bosnia for a place in the next World Cup. “We have to be good at getting people on our side. At the beginning there will be a great atmosphere, but then we will have to be good at showing the public that we are alive, that we will fight back blow for blow.” The prediction on paper is on the Azzurri’s side, but the coach doesn’t trust it: “On set pieces everything is reset because when they put the ball in they strongly believe in what they do and we have to respect them. We have something more than them in terms of game dynamics but we have to respect them and give our best from the first minute.” For Ireland, therefore, maximum respect: “They strongly believe in it and their coach is right in saying that matches can be won even with 30% possession. Against Northern Ireland, Germany and Slovenia struggled because they found themselves facing a tough team that doesn’t fill your eyes but is a team in the true sense of the word”.

ATTACK

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Kean and Retegui will start up front for the Azzurri, but Pio Esposito is also ready to take over. “And Raspadori too… In attack we are in good shape, but the real attackers also help you with your development. They don’t break the line to come at you and anticipate you and therefore it becomes essential to arrive well in the last 16 meters that our forwards participate in the construction of the game”.

FEAR

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Northern Ireland will be the opponent but we will also have to deal with the fear we carry with us after the last two eliminations in the World Cup play-offs. “How do you transform fear into courage? By not talking about fear because if you talk about it you transmit it and this is not a positive thing. Many of them (of his men, ed.) were there 4 years ago and they know what they experienced. You have to give 100%, or rather 150%. The fear between us has never been present and we haven’t talked about it in recent days.” At the end, another incitement to the team and its people, the Italians hungry for the World Cup: “We (Italians, ed.) are these, a little pessimistic before the match, but I am convinced that from the beginning of the match the people will support us with great passion and will cheer for us. But it’s up to us because there have only been many disappointments and everyone is expecting joy.”