Spalletti: Italy sacking ‘robs me of sleep, the scar is painful’ | OneFootball

Former Italy national team head coach Luciano Spalletti says that thinking about his sacking from his position as CT ‘robs me of sleep’ and that ‘the scar is painful’, but that he still has no regrets about accepting the offer to replace Roberto Mancini in 2023.

Spalletti left his position as head coach of the Nazionale in June, confirming his exit in his pre-match press conference before his eventual last match against Moldova on June 9.

The 66-year-old had been in the role for just shy of two years following the departure of Roberto Mancini in the summer of 2023.

REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – JUNE 09: Luciano Spalletti head coach of Italy looks on during the FIFA 2026 Qualifier between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on June 09, 2025 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Spalletti’s reign, however, was marred by a dismal run at EURO 2024, which ended with a humiliating 2-0 loss against Switzerland in the round of 16.

Despite an encouraging bounce-back with impressive results against France, Belgium and Israel in the following Nations League campaign, Italy have since been beaten by Germany over two legs and then by Norway in a 3-0 thumping, which proved to be the final nail in Spalletti’s coffin.

How Spalletti feels after Italy sacking

The former CT has given an in-depth interview to La Repubblica, published on Friday, discussing his time in charge and the end of his tenure.

“It never goes away. It robs me of sleep, it conditions me in everything because the thought is always there,” Spalletti said when discussing his sacking with La Repubblica.

DORTMUND, GERMANY – MARCH 23: Luciano Spalletti, head coach of Italy looks on during the UEFA Nations League Quarterfinal Leg Two match between Germany and Italy at Football Stadium Dortmund on March 23, 2025 in Dortmund, Germany. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

“Sometimes I feel like I’m happy, but then it pops back into my head. I couldn’t get the boys to understand that I loved them,” he added.

On the decision to accept the offer to become the Italy head coach in 2023, Spalletti insists that there are no regrets.

“When they offered me (the chance) to lead the national team, I didn’t sleep for two or three days. The scar is  painful, even if it’s on its way to healing.

“No,” Spalletti replied when asked if he has any regrets. “Because the national team doesn’t ask, it calls. You don’t choose whether to accept. There is no logical reflection to make. When the national team calls you, you have to make yourself fully available.”

Where did things go wrong for Spalletti?

REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – JUNE 9: Luciano Spalletti head coach of Italy during the FIFA 2026 Qualifier between Italy and Moldova at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on June 09, 2025 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

“At the beginning, my mistake was to press too much on this sense of belonging, of identity. Asking them to sing the anthem, doing a huddle before each training session. I wanted to stimulate the pride that I felt, but it was too much,” Spalletti said when asked about his relationship with the Italy players.

He was then asked if he feels there is a current lack of quality available to the national team, to which he replied: “No, I told them that too: Don’t be fooled by those who say you’re poor. You’re of a high level.

“Even though it ended like this, the responsibility is mine alone. I would never give up on Bastoni, Barella, Dimarco, my old ‘group’ as it were.

“After the EUROs, we went back to doing the right things. I thought we’d found our way. But, as happens in the countryside, when you dig a trench for the water, sometimes it takes its own path. And if you keep digging, you create a chasm.”

MILAN, ITALY – MARCH 20: Luciano Spalletti, Head Coach of Italy, looks dejected after the team’s defeat in the UEFA Nations League quarterfinal leg one match between Italy and Germany at Stadio San Siro on March 20, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Still, Spalletti has absolutely no regrets about his decisions, particularly when it comes to personnel.

“IF that were true, it would mean that I was completely wrong in my selections,” Spalletti said when asked if he felt some of the players ‘rejected’ him.

“I would always choose that group of people and players again.”