The Italian national team coach on the eve of the ninth matchday in Group I: “I’m not thinking about the playoffs. My mind is solely on tomorrow’s game; I’m not looking any further ahead.”

Rino Gattuso isn’t taking anything for granted and doesn’t want anything less than a win in Moldova. Even though a Norwegian victory over Estonia—who play tomorrow at 6 p.m.—could render our result meaningless. “I remember when we played here in Moldova under Lippi,” said Rino, “and it wasn’t easy, just as it won’t be tomorrow. There were no easy games before, and there aren’t any now either. You need a lot of respect because if you don’t respect your opponents, it’s tough. Anyone thinking about Norway’s 11-1 win over this Moldova team is mistaken. Moldova isn’t the same team from that 11-1 game… If you replayed that match 10 times, that result would hardly happen again. In Reggio Emilia, we sweated and struggled: tomorrow, it’ll take commitment and respect for our opponents to bring home the three points. I’ll say it again to be clear: Moldova can give us trouble, and we’ll have to work hard and respect our opponent. They have a team with strengths and weaknesses: I know Ionita and what he’s done in Italy. We’ve prepared for the match against Moldova as a whole, not just one player.”

Gattuso then spoke about the lineup: “I can confirm there will be some changes, and I’m making them without hesitation because I have confidence in my players: they all deserve a night like tomorrow. I want to thank the team because I thought certain things might happen, but instead there was a great sense of belonging at Coverciano. We know how it works and that there are many matches during this period when individual players get a lot of playing time… Yet we’re continuing on the right path. Barella, for example, could have asked me to come to Milanello, but instead he’s here with us. Everyone wants to be here with their teammates and grow as a group by staying together. None of this is a given. Gabbia? He won’t start, but the goal is to give him playing time as well. In goal? Vicario will get the start, not Donnarumma. Up front, however, it’ll be Scamacca and Raspadori: those two will start, but they shouldn’t overdo it because we know Scamacca’s style and shooting ability. We know what he can bring to the table: he needs to stay calm and play a solid game. Dimarco? There’s been speculation that he could only play 60–65 minutes. He’s worked hard to shake off that label, and he’s been delivering some key performances for quite some time now. Tomorrow, I repeat, there will be a lot of changes, and Dimarco is one of the players getting a rest. It’s only fair to give these guys a rest because I see how hard they work, and it’s only fair to give everyone a chance. I’m not handing anything to those who’ll play. We’ll put on a great performance; I’m convinced of the abilities of everyone here. Whoever takes the field does so because they deserve it, not just to placate anyone.”

pride—  The head coach then praised Sinner: “Sinner fills me with pride, but so does Musetti: yesterday we were on the couch with my staff, and we stayed up until midnight watching Musetti. Sports are exciting when someone represents our flag. For me, though, it’s a source of pride to see the 6–7 million people who watch Italy in every match—that’s a statistic I ask for. We want to make people fall in love with the team all over again. That attachment to the jersey and that passion must never fade: I feel it from the fans even when I walk around the stadiums, and our players must have it too. We all want to see Italy at the World Cup. The playoffs? To be honest, my mind is on tomorrow’s game, and I’m not looking any further ahead. I want to see their progress—how they train, how well they gel as a team. I’m expecting another strong performance.”