Baldini sparks debate: “Como? I’m rooting for the other teams”

Silvio Baldini, head coach of Italy’s Under-21 team, is sparking debate with his comments at a press conference about Italian soccer—and specifically about Frosinone’s victory over Como on the final matchday of the league season.

“Frosinone is winning through their style of play, and, by the way, they were facing the best team in Serie A in terms of play. I have nothing against Como, but I was rooting for Alvini, because our style of soccer is better represented by Frosinone than by Como,” said the Azzurrini coach.

Baldini then emphasized the importance of the Under-21 team: “The Under-21 journey is crucial for these young players’ development; it has helped many of them believe more in themselves and mature more quickly.”

On his experience as coach of the senior national team: “It wasn’t an easy task; I didn’t realize the difficulties, because you watch the games and see the opponents, but then experiencing it firsthand is a whole different story. You realize just how many people follow Italy, and it was a unique moment, coming after we failed to qualify for the World Cup. We were—and I was—proud to be part of the senior national team.”