The Italian men's soccer coach for the 2019 Summer Universiade, Daniele Arrigoni, said the 20 players he has chosen are motivated, determined, and focused "on one objective only: victory".
Arrigoni said he told the players from the very start "with me, only those who believe in it".
"Some players, such as Berra, we lost at the last minute, but he was very professional and I understood his reasons. Some others behaved differently, and I don't chase after anyone. But I'm very satisfied. Those who are coming are all valuable young men and they will fight to bring home victory. "Deep down, that's what I wanted, to have players with great motivation. There's not one coming without the right spirit. I don't know the value of the other teams, but I'm convinced that with the right motivation alone you can achieve great results," Arrigoni said.
"The idea is to put a really aggressive, tough team on the field, one that can play well with the right energy, knowing that all the matches are important but when you wear the blue jersey (of Italy) you're playing the most important match," he said.
Arrigoni will hoild a training camp with the players at the Mancini Park Hotel in Rome from June 20 to June 25, and has already chosen his formation.
"We started out with the idea of a 4-3-3, but now I think we'll be heading towards a 4-4-2 that can turn into a 4-2-4 with the wingers strong in offense," he said.
At the Universiade, many matches will be played over the course of just a few days, so there will be space for all the players.
However, the framework of the team will have a few stable foundations, such as goalkeeper Tommaso Cucchietti, who plays with Torino FC but this year is on loan to Alessandria in Serie C; defender Davide Vitturini from Pescara who has already played matches in both Serie A and B; midfielder Giovanni Sbrissa, who plays for Siena, on loan from Sassuolo, with over 80 Serie B matches already under his belt; and Riccardo Serena, just coming off the Serie B championship with Padova.
Arrigoni has various options at his disposal in terms of strikers, including Alessandro Galeandro, a 19-year-old center forward with Serie C team AlbinoLeffe.
"He's the youngest of the group, a young man who I really believe in and I hope can be one of the surprises of the tournament. Naturally he will need time, but I see the possibility of a wonderful career for him," Arrigoni said.
The Under 20 team coached by Paolo Nicolato, as well as the Italian women's team currently competing in the FIFA Women's World Cup in France, have shown Italy's current enthusiasm for national-team football, which could help give the Italian men's university team a push at the Universiade.
"The women's team brought back an enthusiasm around the blue jersey that perhaps had been lost a bit. But I think when the Italian national team plays, no matter what the level, it's always exciting. It's a shame for the Under 20 (at the World Cup), they were unlucky. I'm rooting for the women's team. Next it's our turn, and if the fans will give us a hand I'm sure that we can only do well," Arrigoni said.
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