Luciano Spalletti was once the star of Italian coaching. Now 66, he is going through a rough patch and has given a revealing interview.
“Football has destroyed my life,” Luciano Spalletti said in an interview with La Republicca, revealing that he loved the game more than himself. “Because of it, I sacrificed people who were very close to me,” the 66-year-old continued, without going into detail. However, he did go into detail when talking about his rather unhappy time as Italian national coach.
The 0-3 defeat to Norway at the start of the World Cup qualifiers, which ultimately led to his dismissal, still weighs heavily on his mind. “That game still keeps me awake at night and has a big impact on me because my thoughts keep coming back to it,” Spalletti reveals, admitting: “Sometimes I feel happy, but that changes quickly because I remember the game.”
Spalletti was supposed to be Italy’s savior. After leading Napoli to a sensational championship title after a 33-year wait, he was expected to restore the Squadra Azzurra to its former glory when he became national coach in 2023. However, his tenure was rather lackluster: At the 2024 European Championship, Italy, the defending champion, was knocked out in the round of 16 by Switzerland (0-2), then failed to advance past the Nations League quarterfinals against Germany, and then came the debacle against Norway.
“I didn’t manage to convince the players that I love them,” Spalletti said self-critically, admitting: “At the beginning, I made the mistake of insisting too much on togetherness and identity. I demanded that every player sing the national anthem and give a motivational speech before every training session. I wanted to show them the pride I felt, but it was too much.”
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These are statements that leave room for interpretation and at the same time suggest that things may not have gone so smoothly on a human level between the coach and the team. The bottom line is that his spell as national coach was a failure. However, Spalletti does not regret taking the job. “In a situation like that, you don’t think twice. When the national team calls, you have to be ready and available.”
Painful memories of his greatest success
Even though Spalletti’s time with the Squadra Azzurra didn’t end on a high note, he doesn’t hold a grudge. The situation is apparently quite different in the case of SSC Napoli, which he led to the Scudetto in 2023 after 33 years. It’s a success that he doesn’t necessarily look back on fondly.
The streets were filled with fans dressed in sky blue, but there was no official championship parade at the time. For Spalletti, it remains “the biggest insult I’ve ever experienced.” What makes it particularly painful for him is that there was one just a few weeks ago when Napoli won the Scudetto again.
“It’s even harder for me because I saw the footage of the party when they won the Scudetto last season. I asked some of the players to send me video clips so I could at least get a feel for what it’s like to see the crowd of fans from the bus.”