The Italian national coach, Luciano Spalletti, has stated that he does not believe there is a problem with the schedule and that teams with 25 players use the “excuse” of a congested calendar to manage their players. “There are less-equipped teams, and that’s where we could discuss it. But there are others with 25 players who can play more frequently. The discussions always end up being the same, meaning they say the substitutes haven’t performed as well as the starters. We shouldn’t create excuses,” said the coach at a press conference.
“Inter, Juventus, or Milan have players available to play more matches. For me, we don’t play too much; we need the courage to let everyone play, helping those considered substitutes and the young players to grow,” he added.
The coach, who is preparing Italy’s matches against Belgium and Israel in the Nations League, also commented on the criticism of Italian refereeing, particularly regarding the three penalties awarded in the Fiorentina-Milan match and the penalty not given to Roma in their game against Monza.
“I like continuity in football. The gray areas are not easy to manage. It would be interesting to be a referee; I would let many things go because then I have the opportunity to review them,” he said. “It could be pressure, error, or that even for referees, it’s difficult in our football today,” he concluded.
