Mancini praises the 62,000 at San Siro before the clash with France

Italy’s Mancini, head coach of the Italian national team, spoke to Sky Sport on the eve of the clash against France in the Nations League. The coach previewed the presence of sixty‑four thousand fans expected at the San Siro stadium. A month and a half ago, imagining such a turnout seemed difficult. Mancini said: “It’s a beautiful thing, I’m really proud; it’s great to see so many people at the stadium, a large crowd is definitely positive.”

Mancini’s considerations

He recalled that Italy have played four good matches, including the first against Belgium, which helped improve the side. According to him, the road is still long, but these beautiful and important games are essential for progress.

Mancini expects to replicate the good performance in Paris, improving the non‑optimal situations and aiming to play at their best. He believes the match is decisive for qualification to the Nations League final stage and that, if Italy beat France, they will be able to surpass Belgium’s result against Turkey.

The coach confirmed he still has a little time until tomorrow morning to finalise the squad, although he already has a clear picture. Finally, he argued that France remains a very strong side even without Mbappé and Dembele, as they have six other forwards of equal quality.