“I can't wait to share this experience with every Italian.” With exactly one month before the start of the European Championship, Luciano Spalletti has only one goal in mind: to make the fans proud of their national team. A bond to the shirt, commitment and seriousness are the essential ingredients to approach EURO 2024 in the right way: “I can't wait to convey the same emotion, the same passion, to my players. Whatever the result, I want Italians to be proud of us; we want to be a positive example of belonging and Italianness," declared the coach at the presentation of 'Vivo Azzurro TV', the FIGC's new OTT platform. "This country needs it and we want to prove that we are aware of it; we want to show we're up to the task, regardless of how the games will trace our stories and our destinies. The fans must not have the feeling of seeing spoilt children, but with very serious kids. We are proud of you; this is the best certificate that we aspire to receive upon our return."

The national team will meet at the end of the month in Coverciano to begin preparations and by midnight on 7 June Spalletti will have to formalise his list of 26 players for the European Championship. With just two fixtures to go before the end of Italy's league campaign, everyone is still under the coach's magnifying glass: "80% of the choices have been made, but then there is a 20% window in which we are always ready to embrace those who want to join us or get those out who think that the national team is just a little game. Some may sometimes think that it depends on a single player, but it depends on collective availability. When I had to make decisions, they possibly weren't shared outside, but inside we achieved the result we needed to achieve. I win if I can create a team. I don't want to be your friend if I give you the national team shirt." Italy, who will make their debut against Albania on 15 June in Dortmund, is called to the arduous task of defending the title won at Wembley in July 2021: "Being reigning champions is a motivation," underlined Spalletti, "even Mancini's side in 2021 were not the strongest on paper. Then, they became a special team."