Nicolo Barella says he will accept any decision made by Italy’s head coach, including staying at the training base, as Italy prepare to host Turkey in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League group stage.
“I only see the big words ‘Italian National Team’,” Barella said at his pre-match news conference. “I am just an ordinary member; I am not a leader or any special privileged person.”
The Inter midfielder was asked whether he is becoming a more cerebral player after previously operating as an all-action box-to-box midfielder.
He said his style had not fundamentally changed, but that he had learned to manage his energy after accumulating a large number of matches.
“It’s not that I’ve gotten old, but my legs have accumulated quite a lot of matches,” Barella said. “It’s not easy to maintain the same explosive power and absolute activity level I had at 23 or in my first few years with the national team and Inter, when playing nearly 70 high-intensity matches a year.”
Barella added that he remains among the players who cover the most ground, although he has scored fewer goals because of his different tactical role at club level. He said he hoped to make up for the goals he had missed with Italy in recent years.
The midfielder believes the current Italy set-up is different because the head coach protects the squad from outside negativity. He said that was particularly important for players including himself, Gigio Donnarumma and Bastoni, who had experienced difficult setbacks with the national team.
Italy’s longer training camp during this international break has allowed more time to work on tactics and team cohesion, Barella said, while also creating physical and mental challenges. Long journeys, late returns and sometimes only two days to recover between matches were among the factors that had to be considered.
Barella said Italy’s priority was to rediscover the passion and enjoyment that had been lost during years of change. He pointed to their recent display against France, when Italy equalised and continued to push for victory late in the game, as evidence of that renewed spirit.
Asked to compare the team’s identity with Italian wines, Barella chose Cannonau because Italy needed “a powerful force and richness” to restore its confidence. He said the key to the new beginning was the word “team”, with experienced players and young newcomers needing to combine effectively.
On Turkey, Barella said Hakan Calhanoglu’s absence was a major loss, describing his Inter team-mate as “a true superstar” and the absolute leader of the Turkish national team. However, he warned that Turkey still had considerable talent and would be determined to respond after disappointing recent results.
Barella does not know whether he will start, but said he would give everything whether selected for 10, 15, 20, 30 minutes or one minute. “If the coach needs me to stay at the training base, I will obey,” he added. “There are no internal conflicts or disputes in any of this.”
