Italy’s Giorgio Scalvini Stresses Focus Ahead of Nations League Match Against Belgium
Giorgio Scalvini, the Atalanta defender, emphasizes that Italy must not blame their limited recovery time ahead of Sunday’s Nations League showdown against Belgium in Brussels. At a pre-match press conference, Scalvini joined coach Roberto Mancini to discuss the upcoming challenge. Italy triumphed over France 3-1 at San Siro on Thursday, while Belgium secured a 2-1 victory against Turkey.
With quotes via the Corriere dello Sport
“The first game wasn’t positive in terms of the result, but we did some good things in the second half in Rome too,” Scalvini reflected on Italy’s previous 2-0 defeat in September. “We believed in ourselves. Conviction is the most important thing, and tomorrow we’ll give everything with the right attitude.”
“When one game finishes, you have to recover your energy and prepare as well as you can for the next one. We’ve had only a few days, but that’s no excuse, full stop. Tomorrow we’ll try to give our all.”
Scalvini also addressed the prospect of facing his Atalanta teammate, Charles De Ketelaere, who expressed eagerness to compete against his friend. “Charles is a great player. He’s a slightly unusual striker because he’s good at shielding the ball but also proficient at dribbling and attacking space,” Scalvini noted. “He’s also a great person, and we have a great bond, but tomorrow we’ll be opponents. Each of us will do everything we can to win the three points.”
Scalvini concluded by stating, “It’s a game that can give us extra belief. It’s very important, and we care a lot about this competition.”
Italy requires only a draw to advance to the quarter-finals, while a win would secure the top position in Group A1. The match is set to kick off at 20:45 CET [19:45 GMT].
