Di Biagio demands concentration ahead of upcoming U21 Euro qualifier against Andorra: “It’s only easy on paper”

 
However, Luigi Di Biagio is very cautious and demanded high concentration from his squad ahead of a match that is “only easy on paper” for Italy. “One might think,” commented the U21s’ head coach, “that these are three guaranteed points, but you have to get the job done on the pitch. We will need to be extremely alert and we will have to be as clinical as we have been so far. Throughout the whole game, we will treat it as if it we were 0-0. I am trying to teach our team that they always need to be extremely focused, regardless of the venue they play at: with 80,000 spectators or just a small group, it doesn’t matter.” The message is clear, just like the Azzurrini coach’s thoughts: “I have two or three changes in mind; I am looking to assess specific things and then I will make my decision. All in all, we are all fine. We have recuperated from a physical point of view. We were tired after Thursday’s game and we’ve also had to travel a lot too.” The main aim is the three points. Di Biagio is fully aware of the quality of his squad. Nevertheless, he feels tomorrow won’t be an easy game. “I hope the players will see it this way too. It will be an important match for our tomorrow’s opponents; they will give their best in order to draw attention to themselves. Andorra are not a team you can underestimate; they defend well and if we are not able to take an early lead, their defence will be even tighter, aiming to prevent any opportunity for us to score.” ]]>