The “fantastic five numbers 10” arrive in Coverciano. And it immediately became a legend

Antognoni, Baggio. Del Piero, Rivera and Totti respond to Coach Spalletti's invitation. And they meet the team, on the eve of the first test at the Dall'Ara against Turkey. "The bar of ambitions has been raised"

FLORENCE –  They “have raised the bar of ambition”, said coach Spalletti at the end of the day of the “Fantastic five number 10s” at the Coverciano rally. Namely Giancarlo Antognoni, Roberto Baggio, Alessandro Del Piero, Gianni Rivera and Francesco Totti > they answered yes to the call from coach Luciano Spalletti to join him and meet the team.

They then crossed the gate of Coverciano, the iconic barrier of the Federal Technical Centre “to attend training and thus push the boys to raise their performance”, as had been requested by little more than a coach Spalletti a month ago. In one of the symbolic places of Coverciano, where the images of the great triumphs in the history of the Azzurri stand out, in the magna room of the Technical Centre, the ‘Fantastic Five’ met the team, introduced by the coach Spalletti and by the federal president Gabriele Gravina. They, the blue legends, speaking, and sitting in the audience, listening to them in a religious silence to understand and take in everything, the players of the national team. But first we start with a video: the goals and great plays of these five extraordinary champions are projected on the screen in the main hall, while the applause of today’s Azzurri punctuates the images.

BAGGIO: “RESPONSIBILITY THE BIGGEST ENEMY, WITH THIS SHIRT YOU FACE OR LOSE“< /p>

“I simply thank these number ten, these extraordinary boys of the time and men of today, for having accepted the invitation which starts from an idea of the coach”, underlines Gravina, while Spalletti highlights: “We all need myths, to have someone to emulate.” Spalletti continues: “From their presence here, we understand their attachment to the blue of the national team. We must live up to history: we have faith in you. It’s true, there may be a bit of fear about wearing this shirt full of history. But rest assured: it is the opponents who are most afraid of this shirt.” Totti jokes: “You said that every boy here must take a piece of each of us… but in the end, if that were the case, who runs?”. Then, turning serious again, he recommends: “You have a great coach and a great staff, and you can take the field to win, while having fun.” Del Piero confirms: “It’s true, there is pressure, but you have a great opportunity, which you will then remember with a smile: you will compete with the strongest and there is nothing more beautiful than the challenge”. Rivera highlights how “being here is always a commitment” and Antognoni also tries to dispense useful advice: “Go onto the pitch calmly”.
Then Roberto Baggio takes the floor and looking at the audience of players he tells them: “The biggest enemy is responsibility, when you wear this shirt: either we face it or we lose. Have joy in giving everything you have inside.” Finally Buffon closes, who as underlined by Spalletti, “is the sixth number ten here today. Because he was a real number ten, but in goal”: “For me it’s an epochal day and it must be for you too. I hope you can understand it.”

TOMORROW EVENING FIRST TEST WITH TURKEY AT DALL’ARA IN BOLOGNA

Italy’s path to the European Football Championships passes through two friendly matches. For Spalletti’s Azzurri, who are now in retreat in Coverciano, the first test is against Turkey. Italy will face them at the Dall’Ara in Bologna on June 4: it is the third time in a row that this has happened and the case becomes curious. It all started on the eve of the 2020 European Championship, played in the summer of 2021. After the pre-retreat in Sardinia and an initial encounter with San Marino, in Bologna on 4 June the Azzurri closed their preparations with an impressive 4-0 against Repubblica Czech (goals from Immobile, Barella, Insigne, Berardi), another team promoted to the final phase of the continental tournament. Match number 27 without defeats, eighth without conceding a goal. Just over a month later, the triumph at Wembley will arrive.
After 365 days, the national team returns to the ‘scene of the crime’, the Dall’Ara stadium and again on 4 June: this time we need to resuscitate the passion that waned after the world elimination (March 2022) and the defeat at Wembley in the Grand Final against Argentina (3-0). And they face Germany in the first match of the 2022-23 Nations League. When the horizon seems black, coach Mancini pulls an unexpected protagonist out of the hat: Wilfried Gnonto, who in the 65th minute enters the field in place of Politano (first in the national team in 2003) and after 5′ offers Pellegrini the assist to the 1-0. Shortly afterwards Kimmich makes an impact, but Italy seems to be able to raise its head again. From that June 4th the chase for first place began which would take the Azzurri ahead of Hungary, Germany and England and up to the Nations Finals, where they then finished in 3rd place. That was also Mancini’s 50th match as coach of the Italian national team.

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