Italy boss Roberto Mancini gave thanks to the fans at Stadio Olimpico after his side qualified for Euro 2020 with three rounds to spare. The Coach is now one win away from equalling Vittorio Pozzo’s record of nine consecutive victories with the Azzurri, set in 1938/39
“Pozzo’s legacy is that he won two World Cups, the rest isn’t as important,” said Mancini to the FIGC official website. “The boys did very well, but before anything else I’d like to thank the fans at the Olimpico.
“There were so many of them and they really supported us, even in the first half when we weren’t at our best, perhaps we were a bit tense. We hope that this is only a sign of what’s to come in June, when there might be even more fans to cheer us on.”
The Coach also referenced the children from the Bambino Gesu hospital, who the whole team visited last Friday.
“We’re dedicating this victory to them,” continued the boss. “We will often find ourselves up against teams who sit and wait for us. We were too rushed in the first half, instead of waiting and looking for the right moment. We were much better technically in the second half, we found the goals and created other chances too.”