Following the disappointment of their 1-1 result against North Macedonia, Italy had a big game against Ukraine to prepare for in the 2024 Euros qualifiers, which they won 2-1.
One of the players who was at fault for the aforementioned draw was Aston Villa’s Nicolo Zaniolo, who gave away the free-kick that led to the equaliser, leading to him being lambasted by various journalists.
That didn’t put off Luciano Spalletti, however, who started the Villa Park signing in the game against Ukraine, leading the player to then defend himself after the game, in quotes relayed by Corriere dello Sport.
He said: “I always do what the manager asks of me, I always make myself available. Many times, I’m labelled by you as a person who doesn’t show respect, a person outside the lines, but that’s absolutely not the case.
“I make myself available to the fullest for the team, for all the teams I’ve played for. I’m really happy for this evening, and I don’t feel like talking about anything else.”
Prior to signing for Aston Villa, the playmaker had spent time away from his home country at Galatasaray in Turkey after a late move to the Premier League fell through.
That allowed him to reboot a bit, away from all the scrutiny from the Italian media, but with his return to the national team in competitive games, and a poor performance against North Macedonia, everything came back to the fore.
