Nicolò Fagioli, the Italy and Fiorentina midfielder, spoke to Rai Sport from the Coverciano training camp two days before the Nations League away game against France: "Facing France, full of champions and with Zidane on the bench, will be an indescribable emotion, a great challenge for all of us. They will put us to the test, because once you are out on the pitch you have to show you are better than the others."
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Fagioli: "I have matured a lot, I am more self-confident, bolder about certain things and more ruthless about others"
"I wasn't expecting this call-up, but I was really hoping for it," added the former Juventus player, born in 2001. "It was important to get the result for both the standings and confidence. Things hadn't gone very well against Belgium, even if there had been a good reaction in the second half. What is my dream? Going to the World Cup with Italy, it is my biggest dream. I have matured a lot, I am more self-confident, more cheeky about certain things and more ruthless about others, even if I still see fragility as a value, being a very sensitive lad. I knew I had to improve in some areas and I have managed to do that, now I am confident I can do well."
Fagioli then defended his Italy team-mate Alessandro Romano, who made his debut against Belgium: "Social media take you up there after you've done little and drag you down as soon as you make a mistake. For Romano, it was a simple misplaced pass in the opposition half, then unfortunately it led to the goal. These things happen and they will happen billions of times," Fagioli said, as reported by ANSA "He is very young, he will improve even if he is already a strong player. And he is a very good lad, which is what matters most. He must not worry, the team are all with him, what happens outside is not something we can control, but it is not important."
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