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Italy head coach Luciano Spalletti has called for his players to approach the sport with seriousness and professionalism. He urged them to communicate with each other and build relationships in the team instead of just listening to music.
Speaking to the media ahead of their UEFA EURO qualifiers game against England, Spalletti went as far as to claim that he does not want to see his players come into the dressing room wearing headphones. He said (via Mirror):
"For me, my players are special creatures - and I treat them as such. But at the same time I want special answers. We don't come here to giggle about what we do on the pitch or about the time we spend in Coverciano. This is a game, but it requires a lot of seriousness and professionalism. There's a book about the All Blacks with this title: 'No D***heads.' Do you get the idea? I told the footballers it will be my Christmas present to them."
The Italian boss added:
"Here we do things seriously, we don't have different spaces. We are willing to make this sacrifice to bring home the result. I mean this in the sense that there is no room for anything else, except to bring home the result, because we all depend on that. We won't throw away the relationships built here. They will remain if we live them intensely. But the end result counts - and to achieve it we must commit ourselves deeply and totally. That's why I don't want to see anyone waddling around the place with headphones in their ears like an idiot. If that happens, his career will continue - but not with me."
Spalletti was appointed as the Italy national team manager after he quit Napoli following a triumphant last season. The 64-year-old led the side to Serie A before leaving for the national team role.
Italy take on England in UEFA EURO Qualifier
Luciano Spalletti has a big task on his hands as Italy take on England at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday, October 17. It is a repeat of the UEFA EURO 2020 final where the Italians won on penalties.
The defending champions are second in the group, behind England, after five matches but can go joint top of the table with a win of five or more goals. The Three Lions, on the other hand, are the only unbeaten side in the group and will seal their spot at the top with a win in this encounter.
