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Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori is likely to be a key player for Italy this week against Northern Ireland during the FIFA World Cup playoffs, with the defender having clarified that he is indeed feeling the pressure.
At a press conference held from the Azzurri training camp at Coverciano, the versatile defender was asked about a host of things ahead of the tie.
He praised Rino Gattuso for how close he has been to the players in the last few months and Calafiori drew a funny comparison.
He said – relayed by [Calciomercato](_wp_link_placeholder): “I _really appreciated the coach’s attitude towards me. In the last few months, I’ve felt more connected to him than to my mother. He was good at being close to me, even when I was away. Then there was dinner in London; it was nice to be together and talk._
_“We haven’t had the chance to train in these months, but there’s little to train and a lot to go out with. He definitely paid the bill (laughs). We talked about football, Buffon and Bonucci were also there. It was an evening with friends; they told us a few anecdotes and then we talked about the match.”_
Describing his feelings ahead of the game, Calafiori said: “I _always like to think positively, because when you think positively about achieving things, you end up getting them. There’s pressure, there’s no point in trying to avoid it. We all know how important it is for us to qualify for this World Cup. As much as we can, we don’t think about it; we’re already two points away from the match.”_
He urged the Italy side to stick together and that will play a key role during the playoffs.
_“Yes, I like to think so. But as I said before, you can’t predict how the match will end. The message we want to send is to all stick together and be positive. In such important matches, tactical and technical skill count only up to a certain point; unity and mentality are more important.”_
There is no denying that Gattuso’s side will be feeling the pressure, considering their failure to qualify in the last two World Cups. The path to the tournament might not be too complex this time around, as a win against Northern Ireland will see Italy play one of Wales or Bosnia next week.
Kaustubh Pandey I GIFN