Luciano Spalletti: "Italy Did Not Play Like in Other Matches"

Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti reflected on his team's 3-1 defeat to France in the UEFA Nations League, a result that allowed Les Bleus to leapfrog the Azzurri and secure the top spot in Group A2.

A Set-Piece Struggle

"Conceding from a set-piece so early immediately put us on the back foot," Spalletti said, addressing the opening goal scored by Adrien Rabiot just two minutes into the game. "We struggled to stay composed and expended a lot of energy trying to recover. After we scored to make it 2-1, it felt like we could turn the game around, but another set-piece undid us."

Below Expectations

The Italian coach admitted that his team failed to meet the standards set in previous matches. "We didn’t play with the same fluidity in our passing, and France capitalized by closing down our options. Our performance wasn’t as clean or effective as it needed to be," Spalletti said.

Looking Ahead

Despite the setback, Spalletti remains optimistic. "The group stage provided us with many positive takeaways. While this defeat challenges our belief, it shouldn’t diminish our desire to win. I feel for the fans—they created an amazing atmosphere in the stadium, and we couldn’t deliver the result they deserved."

Nations League 2024-2025

Italy - France 1:3 (1:2)
Goals: Rabiot, 2 (0:1); Vicario G., 33 (own goal) (0:2); Cambiaso А., 35 (1:2); Rabiot, 65 (1:3)

Italy: Vicario G.; Bastoni; Buongiorno; Di Lorenzo; Dimarco (Udogie, 83); Cambiaso А. (Maldini D., 78); Barella; Locatelli (Rovella, 67); Tonali; Frattesi (Raspadori, 67); Retegui (Kean M., 66)
Bench: Donnarumma G.; Meret; Gatti; Comuzzo; Okoli; Savona; Pisilli
Yellow Cards: Frattesi 31

France: Maignan; Digne; Konate; Kounde (Pavard, 82); Saliba; Guendouzi; Kone Ko.; Nkunku; Rabiot; Kolo Muani; Thuram M. (Barcola B., 78)
Bench: Samba B.; Chevalier L.; Upamecano; Theo Hernández; Zaire-Emery; Kante N.; Coman; Olise
Yellow Cards: Kolo Muani 44; Guendouzi 93