Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori spoke at his pre-match press conference, previewing the Nations League match against France and outlining his leadership role in a youthful Italy squad.
Key San Siro clash and group situation
Italy face France at San Siro on Thursday in the Nations League, with kick-off scheduled for 19.45 GMT (20.45 CET).
Before the France match, France led Group 1 on 10 points, followed by Italy on seven and Belgium on six. The top two teams in the group advance to the quarter-finals of the Nations League.
Italy’s Nations League campaign began with a 2-0 home defeat to Belgium, followed by victories over Turkiye and a 1-1 draw against France.
Calafiori’s leadership in a youthful squad
Calafiori is 24 years old and said the age profile of the squad is affecting how he feels within the group. Riccardo Calafiori said: "There are a lot of young players in this squad, so I am starting to feel a little older than I was".
He reflected on his limited experience with the national team and his desire to lead through his performances. Riccardo Calafiori said: "I have relatively little experience with the Nazionale, but in every match I try to inspire my team and be a leader, more through my actions on the field than any words I might use."
Facing France again and home advantage
Calafiori looked back on the previous meeting with France and the significance of playing this time at San Siro. Riccardo Calafiori said: "It gives us some more confidence, and tomorrow is again an important test. It was tough for us in France, it was important that we come away with heads held high, and we achieved that. Tomorrow we are on home turf, the stadium is going to be packed, these are all positive elements that allow us to build more self-belief, albeit aware there is still a lot more work to do."
He also assessed the challenge posed by France and Italy’s focus. Riccardo Calafiori said: "I think this is going to be a very complicated match. France have a lot of options available still, so it doesn't change that much, and we must stay concentrated on ourselves".
Kylian Mbappé could miss the match and is reportedly struggling with a muscular injury.
Position switch, preparation and upcoming fixtures
Calafiori was initially used as a central defender for Italy and has only recently begun taking the left-back spot. Speaking about preparation at national-team level, he highlighted the nature of the work done between matches. Riccardo Calafiori said: "There isn't much time to prepare tactically and do things that are too different to at club level, so it's more about determination and heart."
In the reverse fixture against France, Calafiori man-marked Michael Olise and said he hoped to repeat that assignment at San Siro. Riccardo Calafiori said: "I hope that I will have to do it tomorrow too. It's always fascinating to face players of this level."
Italy are also scheduled to travel to Brussels to face Belgium on Sunday.
