Spalletti Anticipates A More Relaxed Italy For Euro 2024 Knockout Clash With Switzerland

Luciano Spalletti anticipates Italy will find their rhythm and improve as they enter the Euro 2024 knockout stages on Saturday. The Azzurri are set to return to Berlin's Olympiastadion, where they famously won the World Cup in 2006, to face Switzerland in the last 16. Despite a shaky Group B performance, Spalletti believes his team will relax and perform better in the knockout rounds.

Italy's journey through Group B was far from smooth. They had to come from behind to beat Albania, were outplayed by Spain, and needed a last-minute goal to draw 1-1 with Croatia, securing second place. Spalletti acknowledged the pressure his players faced during these matches but expects them to be more composed now that they have advanced past the group stage.

"We had this difficult group and you could tell the pressure was on the players, and on me," Spalletti said at Friday's pre-match press conference. "Now we are through this group, I expect to see the team more relaxed because you cannot make calculations in a knockout round, the kind of mindset that can affect your performance in the group phase."

The Olympiastadion holds significant memories for Italy. It was here that they defeated France on penalties in the 2006 World Cup final after Zinedine Zidane's infamous headbutt on Marco Materazzi. Spalletti highlighted this historical connection, noting how Gigi Buffon shared his experiences with the current squad to inspire them.

"Everyone remembers that moment in Berlin," Spalletti added. "But we had Gigi Buffon with us on the bus and he talked to all of us about that situation, helping us to experience what we had only seen from home."

Squad Updates and Tactical Adjustments

Spalletti confirmed some key absences for Saturday's match. Wing-back Federico Dimarco is ruled out due to injury, while Riccardo Calafiori is suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the group stages. Alessandro Bastoni's fitness remains uncertain, but Nicolo Fagioli is expected to start ahead of Jorginho in midfield.

"Bastoni needs to be evaluated; he had a bit of training today, which allowed us to breathe a sigh of relief," Spalletti continued. "Dimarco cannot recover; he is out. We will play with something that resembles a four-man defence because we must try to be more attacking than what we've seen so far."

Fan Support and Motivation

Despite facing challenges against Albania and Croatia where Italian fans were outnumbered in the stadiums, Spalletti emphasised the importance of their global fanbase. He noted that even if fans are not physically present, their support is felt by the team.

"We know there is this memory to be honoured," Spalletti said. "We have fans all over the world. Even if against Albania and Croatia we were in the minority in the stadium, we knew that all our fans were there in front of their televisions pushing us on."

The upcoming match against Switzerland presents an opportunity for Italy to demonstrate their resilience and tactical prowess as they aim for success at Euro 2024.