Italy
National midfielder
Jorginho (name)
In an official interview with the Italian Football Federation (FIFA), he looked back at the Europa League's first round Group B victory against Albania and looked ahead to the upcoming meeting with the
Spanish
The key battles of the
Italy opened the Europa League with a 2-1 comeback victory over Albania in the first round of Group B matches. Jorginho said, "Our first group game against Albania was positive. We played well, kept a high level of possession and were patient. It's not easy to cope when you concede a goal in the opening seconds. But we did well to keep our composure and do what we were ready to do."
Italy will face Spain in the 2nd round of the group stage on June 21st at 3:00 am Beijing time. Jorginho is looking forward to the match: "I have great memories of Spain: the semi-final of the last Euro, it was a very difficult match, but it was a special moment for me that I will always remember. Scoring the last winning penalty in the penalty shootout still gives me shivers."
Jorginho emphasized that the Italian team will try to prepare in the best possible way over the next three days: "This time we want to win again and we need to play with high intensity. Both teams want to be in control of the ball and we have to play according to our characteristics, not just the weaknesses of the other team. Coach Spalletti wants us to play good soccer and keep the ball moving. We must continue on this path where everyone is willing to serve the team so we can go further."
Jorginho also gave special thanks to the Italian fans who came to Germany to support the national team: "The fans were incredibly emotional. I hope our fans will continue to support us like this, it has had a positive effect and helped us a lot. We want to do our best to represent our country in the best possible way."
