Live Broadcast, June 16th: In the first round of Group B of the European Cup, Italy defeated Albania 2-1. Italian player Chiesa attended the post-match press conference.
You were named MVP of the game after the game. What do you think of Italy's performance?
A mistake after the opening was a negative, but we immediately managed to reverse the score. It was a great team performance because as a team we turned things around right away. Albania played a difficult and balanced game in which they had a chance to equalize, but a draw would have been a mistake. This will be our next lesson.
What are the similarities between this national team and when they won the European Cup three years ago?
Yes, now as then, we in Italy are a strong and cohesive team. We proved it tonight: conceding the ball in the first few seconds is not an easy situation to deal with, but we did it. We showed that we have good players in the team, top players, and we turned the situation around and got a well-deserved win.
What did Coach Spalletti say during the game to inspire you?
He wants everyone to perform as well as possible. The coach is always giving advice and today it was hard to hear his voice from the other side of the pitch. It's great to play in front of these fans, even though there aren't many Italians among them. It's also great to play in this away-like atmosphere and I don't think it affected the first goal.
How is Chiesa different in this European Cup from three years ago?
I think the improvement of the players can be seen on the pitch and I have a lot to prove. I have great memories of the last Euros and we want to stay in this tournament for as long as possible. Continuity on the pitch makes all the difference. In addition, the coach of this European Cup asked me to play on the right wing, and I am happy to play this position.
Italy's next opponent is Spain
This is a strong national team, but we are not weak either. We will come to the court with a desire to fight, we do have possession of the ball, but the coach also wants to see tough players, which is what we need on the court.
