BERLIN - Luciano Spalletti can be overwhelmingly charming. Ahead of Italy's Euro 2024 last-16 encounter against Switzerland this Saturday, the 65-year-old surprisingly turned his team's final training session into a public event.
The news went through Italy's fan community around the team base in Iserlohn like wildfire and over 500 fans enjoyed 90 minutes near their heroes.
Ahead of the Switzerland tie, the Italy coach seemed in a surprisingly good mood.
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After a young boy snuck past security staff, Spaletti welcomed him with a warm smile and a hug.
The former Napoli coach has tried to set up a feel-good atmosphere, after Italy only made it into the knockout stages thanks to a last-minute goal against Croatia, prompting criticism back home.
Big signs triggering national pride are placed all over the base camp in Iserlohn. "Blue unites us. Always," the banners read.
Crossing swords with their Swiss neighbors in Berlin's Olympic Stadium might fuel emotions as the arena brings back fond memories for Italy.
Not only did Italy win gold at the 1936 Olympic Games in the German capital, but July 9, 2006 lifted the entire nation to the football skies, as Italy secured their fourth World Cup title after a dramatic penalty shoot-out against France.
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Despite having won Euro 2020, not qualifying for the 2018 or 2022 World Cups left painful wounds in Italian football.
Therefore, Spalletti's 2024 mission includes the order to repair Italy's reputation.
"The burden of expectations is slowing us down. My young team has no experience to deal with that amount of pressure," he said.
After having taken Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years the previous season, the former Roma and Inter coach turned into a rescue worker as the successor of Roberto Mancini, who surprisingly left the Italy post to coach Saudi Arabia's national team instead last August.
Only ten months were left for Spalletti to prepare his team for the Euro 2024.
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The man, known as a tactical genius, reshuffled the squad as several veterans ended their career.
"I have full trust in the cleverness and the abilities of Spalletti," 2006 World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi said, while fellow Italian coaching legend Arrigo Sacchi called him "the right man in the right place."
The new Italy coach has engendered a team spirit and talks about values, pride and responsibility when wearing the Italy shirt.
"We are here to win the championship. We want to get to the final in Berlin," he added. The game against Switzerland this Saturday comes as an intermediate step.
The coach reformed Italy's football style and is said to play a mixture of the football concepts of Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp.
Instead of a Tiki-taka style, Spalletti favors high-pressing and attacking football. "We face a challenge against Switzerland in a delicate game, as they performed well. But we are Italian, and I want my players to prove they are Italian," the coach said.
