Tottenham Hotspur’s Guglielmo Vicario is on a high after winning the Europa League with his club, but was dragged down to earth somewhat during the recent international break.
Italy beat Moldova 2-0, which was to be expected, but before that they lost 3-0 to Norway. That was a blow to their chances of qualifying for the World Cup, something they don’t want to miss out on again, and even prompted the exit of manager Luciano Spalletti.
The Tottenham star spoke to La Repubblica about Italy’s struggles and also spoke about the excessive number of games that footballers have to play in the modern era. Whilst he said he didn’t want to use that as an excuse, it very much sounded like one.
He said, as relayed by TMW: “We don’t want to find excuses, because if you lose important matches there’s no point in looking for them, you have to take responsibility. I say, however, that we went to play crucial matches after a season with more than fifty matches each.
“There’s no longer even the feeling of finishing a season and starting a new one. This is undeniable and it’s the thought of many players. You have to give those who go on the pitch the chance to give one 100%, and sometimes you’re not even at 50%.”
The 28-year-old is one of a number of growing voices when it comes to the packed football calendar. The Club World Cup has added to that, although Spurs won’t be taking part in this edition of the tournament.
The Italian is now able to rest after a hectic 2024/25 campaign, during which struggled with an injury.
Keeping him fit will important for Thomas Frank, with Vicario not only being first choice goalkeeper but also having a growing leadership role within the squad.
