Roberto Mancini talked to the press about his future ahead of the friendly versus Turkey: “I spoke with president Gabriele Gravina, and we are on the same page. His support was pleasing. We will rediscuss what needs to improve in the next few days. We have to re-start, as there will be some important games down the line.”
“I personally told some players to leave early. We always try to accommodate the requests of the clubs. Those who bowed out would not have featured. Chelsea gave us Jorginho three days earlier. Alessandro Florenzi and Matteo Politano are not in great shape and have not been called up.”
“Lorenzo Insigne came here with some minor issues, and the same goes for Gianluca Mancini and Marco Verratti. Ciro Immobile would have gone to the stands. They have given us a lot, not just in the Euro, but also in the triennium before it. They deserve credit for the lengthy winning streak. There is a special group here, also around the players.”
Mancini looked at the past and the future: “We should have won our group, plain and simple. We always showed up, but we were imprecise in some games. I am not looking for excuses, and we have to accept what happened. We will insert younger players, hoping they could gain meaningful experience with their clubs.”
“Over the last four years, we tried to win while adopting a different style of football. We almost always managed that. I think this squad could have won the World Cup, and that is still my goal. There will be some additions, as natural. I am keen on staying because I am still young; I like this job, and I want to organize something important. The disappointment stays, but the rest goes on.”