Di Biagio: ‘England are incredible’

By Football Italia staff

Italy Under-21 Coach Luigi Di Biagio declares “we know England well”, and warns “they’re no longer just 4-4-2 and running”.

The Azzurrini face the Three Lions in a friendly tomorrow, as they warm up for next year’s European Championships in Italy.

“It will be a beautiful Euros, one of the best ever,” Di Biagio predicted in his pre-match Press conference.

“All the best teams will be there, and two more strong teams will come through the play-offs. Today I think Austria and Portugal will qualify, but Poland and Greece have something too.

“We know the English well, at least five or six of them played in the Under-19s against our 1997 players two years ago.

“England now are what Germany were in the past, they’ve worked really well in the past 10 years and it’s no coincidence that from Under-17 level to Under-21 they’ve achieved incredible success.

“They’re no longer English teams, they’re no longer just 4-4-2 and running, they’re really well set up tactically.

“There are a lot of foreign Coaches in the Premier League, [Pep] Guardiola first and foremost, who have gone there and changed the mentality and way of playing.

“There’s great human material to work with: English players are incredible from an individual and physical point of view.

“If you put a bit of organisation in place, they become unbeatable. Playing teams of this level will help us improve.”

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