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Italy picked up a disappointing 2-0 defeat against Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in their opening UEFA Nations League game. The loss was met with boos as the performance was largely disappointing.
Belgium largely dominated the first half and while Italy attempted to come into the game in the second half, it was clear who the better team was.
Chaos did break out at the end of the tie but this was drowned out by the boos. Manager Roberto Mancini spoke to Rai about the game and made it clear that the boos are understandable considering the performance.
The manager said – via TMW: “Belgium played better than us in the first half, but they struggled in the second. We could have equalized, but then we conceded due to our own mistakes.”
When asked specifically about the boos, Mancini said: “When we lose, we’re not happy; boos are normal.”
He also emphasised that Italy were indeed poor in the first half, saying: “The first half was good, but the second was bad: the team played very well until the counterattack that made it 2-0. Belgium is a great team and played well.”
The Azzurri take on Turkey in the next game which could be a way to show that they’re a better team than what they showed today. After that, they will take on France in what will be a more challenging game.
Kaustubh Pandey – GIFN
