Italy’s repechage to World Cup, Silvio Baldini brutally honest: "I don’t peacock"

With the gathering in Coverciano ahead of the friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece, the adventure as interim technical commissioner of Silvio Baldini, to whom the Federation entrusted the task after the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso in the aftermath of the Zenica defeat against Bosnia that certified the Azzurri’s third consecutive absence from the World Cup (unless the repechage hypothesis materializes given the persisting doubts linked to Iran and the Democratic Republic of Congo).

In front of reporters at a press conference, however, Baldini himself pointed out that his intention is to get back to thinking about the Under 21 team as early as the day after the match with Greece. “To coach Italy you need a certain resume, and I don’t have it today. I see enthusiasm from many fans, but I think it is related to the desire for change. I’m certainly not being a peacock: I’m aiming for the Under-21 European Championship and the Olympics. If I can bring those results home, I might have hope: I believe in merit, not in flukes.”

Baldini then recalled how his current role is the result of a special circumstance: “I am here because Gattuso resigned. If it had not happened, I would not be in this position. I have respect for everything and everyone, sometimes I see Serie A teams entrusting the bench to Primavera coaches: I don’t share that. One should not take advantage of other people’s misfortunes to get into the game.”

Looking at the two games ahead, the coach explained that he has called up the Under 21 group, supplementing it with two level profiles such as Donnarumma and Pio Esposito, a choice that is already looking ahead to the Olympics: “I called them up because I see them within a possible path according to the Games, I believe they can be important resources.”