Ventura: 'Result changes nothing'
By Football Italia staff
Giampiero Ventura maintains Italy’s 1-0 defeat to Sweden “changes nothing” in the World Cup play-off and defended Marco Verratti.
Jakob Johansson scored the only goal of the game in Solna with a shot deflected past Gigi Buffon by Daniele De Rossi, so need to win at San Siro on Monday and avoid conceding an away goal to reach the World Cup.
“Today we could’ve done more and done it better, but there was a lot at stake over the 180 minutes,” said the Coach in his Press conference.
“We wanted to control certain situations, and when we did that, we entered into the penalty area fairly easily. When we didn’t do it, due also to the physicality of the Swedish side… it was a little chaotic, but Buffon didn’t make a save.
“The result is irritating, because it could’ve been different. Andrea Belotti’s header was wide from six yards, Matteo Darmian hit the post… We have 90 minutes to turn it around and we’ll see where we are at the end.
“The speed of the passing can be improved, but when you score a goal, the spaces open up. We knew that Sweden had the upper hand over us physically and we did suffer a little, as they knocked it down and would cause chaos.”
Some changes are forced for the second leg in Milan on Monday, because Marco Verratti is suspended.
“We will change some things, but the system needs to be put aside, what counts now is the desire and determination to turn the result around. I hope we’ll achieve that with help from the crowd and more fair play from the opposition.”
Lorenzo Insigne revealed he was asked to replace Marco Verratti in midfield for the final 15 minutes. Not only was the Paris Saint-Germain star disappointing on the night, he was also booked and will miss the second leg.
“Verratti is coming in from a team that plays in a certain way with other players. In 48 hours he has to radically change the way he takes to the field. I don’t judge and I don’t feel he should be criticised today, but clearly we can all improve.
“In the locker room I saw the players were angry. They know we could’ve had a different result and they want to achieve it. That starts from Buffon, who has a ferocious hunger. We were surprised by Sweden’s physicality, but we know what we’re going in to now.
“The result changes nothing. We had some ‘certainties’ and this game confirmed if you do them well, they pay off. It also confirmed there are some areas where we need to improve.
“We’ve barely had a chance to train, but we need to watch this game back and realise all the things we should’ve done better.
“I am not surprised by the way Sweden interpreted the game, as I knew they would do this. In defensive terms, we allowed practically nothing, because I don’t remember a Buffon save. We could’ve done better in some moments, but what we didn’t do today, we trust will be done on Monday.
“Sweden always play the same way, but we moved too slowly to take advantage and the spaces closed up. There are a thousand chances to turn this around.
“Pressure is perennial in Italy, that’s just how the game works. It’s not the media’s fault if we didn’t get a result.”
Ventura complained in his immediate post-match interview that referee Cuneyt Cakir was too lenient on the Swedish roughhousing.
“Overall it was ok, but it allowed Sweden to move the game away from the technical to the physical. If a player has a probable fractured nose, then evidently he didn’t do that by himself.”
