At 20.45 at the Franchi in Florence the first outing for the European champion national team. Mancini: “Watch out for Bulgaria”
FLORENCE. Italy returns to the field 52 days after the European triumph against England and does so tonight at the Artemio Franchi stadium in Florence against Bulgaria (at 8.45 pm live on Raiuno, Dutch Gozubuyuk will referee).
It is the first of the three matches valid for the world qualifiers (Sunday against Switzerland then next Wednesday against Lithuania) that await the Azzurri who are currently leading the group with full points. Above all it is the first as European champions for Roberto Mancini and his boys and for this reason the expectation is very high.
“We know we can improve even more, then in football we are also losing but I hope it will happen after 2022” the ambitious hope of the coach at the helm of an unbeaten national team for 37 games in a row (28 wins and 9 draws) and for this reason, but not only that, destined to open a great cycle: «It is our hope but it has been for three years when we started by involving this group to try to do something different than in the past – said Mancini -. The World Cup is not that far away and we want to continue playing like this, having fun and doing well, the goal is first of all to qualify then we will focus on that competition ».
In the meantime, the coach wants to thank for the strong support received during the European ride (until yesterday afternoon a total of about 9000 tickets had been sold): «I want to say thanks to the Italians who supported us throughout the event. Against Bulgaria, which like every first game of the season will be difficult and delicate, we will have to do what we know. The stakes are already high and therefore woe to be distracted – warned the coach -. However, my state of mind is the same as always, serene and happy, the boys know that we mustn’t stop 50 days ago and I can’t wait to start over ».
It will be an Italy that will not betray its game and its philosophy: “Over time you can change something but to maintain this level we need to be even stronger and I know we can be because we have young players who have not yet expressed all their strength. their value. If you have fun – concludes the technician from the Marches – you also have fun with the people who come to see you and when you have fun, you win. When you do a job that you enjoy, you always do it to the fullest ».