“The star in the Italian team is the group. We do not have top-level players like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lukaku, players who make the difference, but for us the group is the key,” Bonucci said at a press conference organized at the Coverciano sports center (Florence, center).
“We have to show off our group and win to bring happiness back to the Italians after the negative experience of Russia 2018,” he added, referring to Italy’s absence from the last World Cup.
Bonucci, one of the leaders of Roberto Mancini’s team, expressed his optimism for the European Championship, in which Italy will debut this Friday against Turkey at the Roman Olympic stadium.
“A great adventure begins, we have been waiting for a year. We want to go to the end. It is true that we have teams with more experience ahead of us, who are one step up, but we are there to compete,” he said.
“We have to be calm, play without fear. We will have the public by our side in Rome and we will give everything,” he continued.
The selected “azzurro” faces the European Championship after a streak of 27 games without defeat and eight games without conceding goals, something that fills Bonucci with pride.
“When you do not receive goals, the merit is not only of the defenders, because you can count on great defenders, but if you do not work as a team, the wall falls. In addition to proposing an offensive game, the teammates also sacrifice to defend. We hope to continue in this way, because it would mean going far, “he said.
“In addition, winning 1-0 always gives pleasure,” he acknowledged.
Italy, champion of the European Championship in 1968, is in group A together with Turkey, Switzerland and Wales and will play its three games at the Olympic in Rome before 16,000 spectators.
“We have to be humble, praise gives us pleasure, but we must be focused,” he said.
