Ex-football coach Zdenek Zeman has had his say on Italy’s 3-0 win over Turkey in the opening game of Euro 2020 on Friday night, according to a report in the Italian media today.
Whilst writing in his column for La Gazzetta dello Sport, the man who has coached the likes of Napoli, Cagliari, and Pescara in the past showed how much he thinks Inter midfielder Nicolo Barella has improved recently.
“Nicolò proves that he has grown a lot and that he knows how to give insertions in which he combines legacy and quality.”
He also discussed how big a moment it was for both Italy and the wider European continent it was to see that many people inside the Stadio Olimpico watching the opening game of a major tournament, given the effect that Covid-19 has had on everyone.
“The restart that this debut match of the Europeans represented in the collective imagination after many, too many, months of difficulties, fears and anxieties caused by the pandemic.”
It was also very clear that the man who had two separate spells in charge of AS Roma was not at all impressed by the game plan of Turkey, who many tipped to be a dark horse coming into the tournament.
“Turkey, which certainly disappointed with its performance and tactical attitude, closed in its trocar trying from the beginning to keep the 0-0 without almost never being able to restart.”
