- Luciano Spalletti also hit back at criticism of his team after Italy’s draw against Croatia
- Italy qualified for the knockout phase of the 2024 European Championship on Monday afternoon
- Listen to It all starts! ‘There’s not much certainty he’ll play’ – why did Gareth Southgate pick Luke Shaw?
A furious Luciano Spalletti has hit out at a journalist after Italy’s latest 1-1 draw with Croatia after fearing he might have a ‘mole’ in his camp.
Spalletti also hit out at his side’s critics during his post-match press conference, after Italy secured their place in the knockout stages of the competition, finishing second in Group B.
The defending champions seemed to be heading for third place after Luka Modric gave Croatia a 1-0 lead in the second half. But Spalletti’s side hit back late, with Mattia Zaccagni curling in a late goal to secure a place in the last sixteen.
The Italian coach had opted to change his side’s formation ahead of this match, having played a 4-3-3 formation against both Spain and Albania. On Monday he deployed a 3-5-2 formation, with Mateo Retegui and Giacomo Raspadori leading his side’s attack.
When asked by a journalist why his side chose to deploy the new formation, Spalletti raged at the reporter after it emerged that his formation had been released to the media before the match.
Luciano Spalletti (pictured) claimed players who ‘leaked tactics’ ‘hurt the national team’
Before Italy’s 1-1 draw with Croatia, it had become clear that Spalletti would play in a new formation, compared to the 4-3-3 his side played against Spain and Albania.
“You didn’t interpret that, you were told that and you did well to repeat that,” Spalletti said.
‘But this is not your poetic license. This is a weakness of those who actually leak things because there is an internal and external environment.
“If there are people leaking things from within, that is someone who is hurting the national team.
“Whoever told you that, it hurts the national team, but I speak to the players day in and day out.”
While there has been heartbreak for Croatia, the defending champions have been disappointing in Germany so far, with Italy suffering a narrow defeat to Spain, thanks to a Riccardo Calafiori own goal, before recording a 2-1 win over Albania in their opening match.
After receiving some criticism for their performance, Spalletti hit back at his side’s opponents during his press conference, saying: “Everyone is trying to get us out of the tournament,” Spalletti told reporters after his team clinched their late draw.
Mattia Zaccagni (bottom centre) scored a sensational late equalizer to see Italy seal a 1-1 draw against Croatia on Monday
Spalletti’s dramatic late draw secured a place in the knockout stages of the 2024 European Championship
“If I had been afraid, I would have done another job. There is no point in being afraid.
“I don’t want to worry more than necessary or increase the pressure people put on my shoulders.
“There’s poison coming from all directions and I’m injecting myself with this poison when it doesn’t.”
The Italy boss also insisted his side ‘deserved to go through’, despite also claiming Italy were not playing the best football.
After finishing second in the group, Italy will now face Switzerland in the round of 16 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Saturday.