Arsenal midfielder Jorginho will again be on penalty duties for Italy, despite missing a further straight spot-kick in the 5-2 win over North Macedonia.
That’s according to his manager Luciano Spalletti, who has revealed what he told the Arsenal midfielder after his latest disappointment from the spot.
Gazzetta dello Sport cover the Italy manager and the player today and how the latter may need a ‘strong heart’ when he comes up against Ukraine in Italy’s final qualifier.
The newspaper explains that Jorginho is now in the middle of a ‘poker of missed penalties’ after he missed for the fourth time in a row against the Macedonians.
They say that it was clear from the Arsenal man’s ‘petrified face’ and the ‘emptiness that can be seen in his gaze’ when Macedonia goalkeeper Dimitrievski easily saved his penalty that the old confidence from the spot is no longer there.
That miss brought back the specters of the miss against Switzerland, which ultimately ended up costing Italy a place at the World Cup in Qatar.
Despite that, Spalletti will continue to back the Arsenal man in future, which may mean he needs a ‘strong heart’ in the final qualifier against Ukraine, which Italy need to win to qualify for Euro 2024.
“Congratulations should be given to someone like him,” he said.
“The goalkeeper was good, he made him believe he was empty, and he didn’t take a good angle. He remains a special penalty taker. I already told him that he will beat him again next time and he said yes.”
