Luciano Spalletti raged at suggestions a pact with his players resulted in Italy's switch to a 3-5-2 formation for Monday's draw with Croatia, as they scraped into the last 16 at Euro 2024.
Following a 2-1 win over Albania and a deserved 1-0 defeat to Spain, the defending champions entered their final match in Group B with their fate in the balance.
Luka Modric's goal – which made him the oldest goalscorer in Euros history at 38 years and 289 days – put them on the brink of a third-place finish, which would have left them waiting nervously on other results to discover whether they had qualified.
However, Mattia Zaccagni stepped off the bench to curl home a brilliant equaliser after 97 minutes and 19 seconds, the second-latest goal in Euros history (excluding extra time), after Hungary's Kevin Csoboth versus Scotland one day earlier (99:33).
Italy will now face Switzerland for a quarter-final spot on Saturday, but their performances have not been universally welcomed at home.
Reports in the Italian media suggested Spalletti abandoned his favoured 4-3-3 setup for a 3-5-2 shape at his players' behest, and the former Napoli boss was furious when asked about those claims in his post-match press conference.
"In my opinion, this is what you were told," Spalletti said, before asking the reporter his age.
"You're 51, you still have 14 years before you get to 65 like me. I speak to the players, I need to hear with their ears and see with their eyes, so I talk to them, what is the problem?"
Spalletti went on to claim someone in the Italy camp had leaked details of his conversations with the squad, saying: "Don't claim this is your poetic licence, this is just a weakness of those who leak things.
"There is an internal environment and an external one and if in the internal environment there are those who speak of certain things outside, it's someone who harms the national team.
"I did my thesis at Coverciano on 3-5-2. I'll let you see it later. It's only natural that I speak to the players."
Though Italy attempted over twice as many shots as Croatia (13 to six), they only hit the target three times and lost the expected goals (xG) battle, 1.49-0.98.
Asked whether he was afraid of failing at his first major tournament, Spalletti said: "Am I afraid?
"What am I afraid of? If I was afraid, I would have just come here like you guys to watch the games. I would have done another job.
"I know so many people that would have given me free tickets. It's only natural that there's pressure, but we go out there to play."
Vancouver Whitecaps v St. Louis City: Sartini calls for courage in Canada
A defiant Vanni Sartini believes Vancouver Whitecaps are on the right track, but called for more confidence and courage when St. Louis City visit in MLS.
The Whitecaps endured a disappointing two-game road stretch, culminating in their 2-0 defeat to Portland Timbers last time out.
That loss saw Vancouver drop to ninth in the Western Conference standings, only clinging onto the final playoff spot by way of a superior goal difference over Seattle Sounders.
Sartini acknowledged the frustrations of the last two showings, though suggests the Whitecaps can get back on course at BC Place.
"The concerns are always there, even if you win," Sartini said at pre-match media availability.
"It sounds very easy to say, but we just need to be a little better. That means a lot of things, however. Our performance hasn't gone down dramatically.
"The efficiency of our performances has gone down dramatically, though. We need to be better at finishing our chances, and being mentally stronger.
"The last couple of games before the break, we had two strong mental performances [in Kansas and Colorado]. Even though we weren't playing amazingly, we weren't making mistakes.
"The last two games away, we created more chances than in the games before, but we have been too easy to beat, we get a little flat when we hit the first trouble of those matches.
"We need to be more confident, courageous and more like: 'let's focus on the task'. If we are doing this, then the margin to make a lot of points is shorter."
Bradley Carnell's visitors are winless in their last eight domestic outings following a 1-1 draw with Atlanta United in their most recent fixture.
St. Louis are just three places behind the Whitecaps, though, with this the chance to strike a blow to their hosts' playoff hopes.
Carnell must arrest a poor spell in front of goal, however, as St. Louis have scored the second-fewest goals in the West this season (24).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Ryan Gauld has followed up his 11-goal 2023 with nine goals already this season.
With one more goal, Gauld will become the third Whitecaps player with multiple 10-goal seasons (Camilo Sanvezzo, Brian White) and the first to do so in consecutive campaigns.
St. Louis City – Indiana Vassilev
Indiana Vassilev scored his fifth regular-season goal for St. Louis on Saturday, becoming the sixth different player to hit the mark for the club in league play.
Only three teams have more players with five or more regular-season goals than St. Louis since they joined the league in 2023 (Real Salt Lake, Minnesota United, FC Cincinnati – seven each).
MATCH PREDICTION – VANCOUVER WHITECAPS WIN
The Whitecaps are the likely favourites for a narrow victory in this one, owing to St. Louis' woeful away form.
Carnell's side have managed only three wins in 26 games on the road in all competitions (drawn eight, lost 15) since winning their first three away matches in club history between February and March 2023.
Yet, it will be by no means straightforward for Vancouver.
They have lost consecutive matches following the defeat to Portland on Saturday, but Vancouver have not suffered three straight defeats within a single regular season since August-September 2022.
There is little to split these two teams in terms of the head-to-head record, with each side recording a home win against the other in two meetings between Vancouver and St. Louis City last season.
The hosts scored three goals in each game, while Brian White scored in both outings for the Whitecaps.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Vancouver Whitecaps win – 51.1%
Draw – 24.8%
St. Louis City win – 24%
'It doesn't get any bigger' for Denmark - Eriksen relishing Germany showdown
Christian Eriksen acknowledges "it doesn't get any bigger" for Denmark as they prepare to take on host nation Germany in the Euro 2024 round of 16.
Kasper Hjulmand's side, who reached the Euro 2020 semi-finals, are appearing in the knockout stages of successive European Championships for the first time, having finished as Group C runners-up behind England.
Eriksen played a key role as the Danes went unbeaten in their opening three matches.
The Manchester United midfielder scored against Slovenia, and became the first Denmark player to register 10 or more shots (10) and create 10 or more chances (13) in a single edition of a major tournament.
Denmark have lost all five of their previous European Championship matches against the host nation, though they do boast fond memories of their victory over Germany in the 1992 final.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Eriksen said. "A knockout game against Germany in Germany; it doesn't get any bigger than that.
"A lot of people seem to think that we've lost already, so we can play freely and give our all. I'm looking forward to showing that we can rub shoulders [with the best teams] in this tournament.
"I believe we can beat the Germans, but many things will have to come together for us."
Eriksen has also become Denmark's most-capped player after taking his tally of senior international appearances to 133 - one ahead of team-mate Simon Kjaer.
"I'm very proud to have won so many international caps," the 32-year-old added. "It's a bit of a strange feeling because a lot of the players who are up there are all-time greats of Danish football.
"To be there alongside them is something I will look upon fondly when I'm done playing, with a big smile on my face."
Seattle Sounders v Chicago Fire: Schmetzer seeks home-form remedy at Lumen Park
Brian Schmetzer urged Seattle Sounders to rediscover their home form ahead of Saturday's meeting with Chicago Fire in MLS.
The hosts sit ninth in the Western Conference standings, but are 12 points adrift of the top three sides in the table.
Schmetzer's side have not won back-to-back MLS games all season, though that is a possibility when the out-of-form Chicago visit Lumen Park.
Seattle will be invigorated by last-gasp drama in their 3-2 win over FC Dallas last time out, and the head coach hopes his team can utilise that momentum going forward.
"We need to follow up that crazy, exciting, perfect for the fans, but horrible for the coaches win," he said. "We've got two more home games to come, and we need to re-establish some home form.
"I haven't mentioned it to the players, but we have discussed it internally among the coaches, how to get them more consistent and delivering on a regular basis.
"[Let's] see if we can generate some more results. We're still below the playoff line, but seven points in a week is a good number.
"Now, we talk about keeping the momentum at home going, not necessarily winning two in a row, but just re-establishing what we do here and how we go about things."
The Fire appeared to be finding form with a four-match unbeaten streak, though that was snapped with a 4-2 defeat in Orlando last weekend.
Chicago are languishing at the bottom of the Eastern Conference and have struggled on the road, managing just one win in nine away matches.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Seattle Sounders – Jordan Morris
Jordan Morris scored the 88th-minute equaliser and stoppage-time winner in Seattle's comeback win over Dallas on Saturday.
Morris is the first player in Sounders history to score both the match-tying and winning goals in the 80th minute or later of an MLS match.
Chicago Fire – Hugo Cuypers
Hugo Cuypers has scored in four consecutive matches for the Fire, the longest active goalscoring streak in MLS.
If he scores against Seattle, Cuypers will equal the longest regular-season scoring streak in the Fire's MLS history: five games by David Accam in 2017 and Robert Beric in 2020.
MATCH PREDICTION – SEATTLE SOUNDERS WIN
With the Fire enjoying a favourable head-to-head record and the Sounders in fine form, this clash was difficult to split the pair, though Seattle appear favourites for a narrow victory.
Seattle have lost only two of their last 13 matches in all competitions (won six, drawn five), with both of those defeats coming on the road.
Indeed, the Sounders are unbeaten in seven straight home games, including winning three of the last four at Lumen Field (drawn one), but Chicago should still not be ruled out.
The Fire have won their last two meetings with Seattle, one at home and one at the MLS is Back Tournament in 2020. Prior to that, Chicago had won just two of 17 meetings with the Sounders (drawn four, lost 11).
They also remain winless in Seattle in nine all-time visits (drawn two, lost seven), but have won their last two trips to the Pacific Northwest, winning 3-1 at Vancouver Whitecaps in 2022 and 2-1 at Portland Timbers in 2023.
Prior to the last two matches, Chicago had never won at any of the three Cascadia MLS teams in all competitions (drawn four, lost 19 at Portland, Seattle and Vancouver), a feat they will hope does not come back to haunt them here.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Seattle Sounders win – 54.6%
Draw – 23.3%
Chicago Fire win – 22%
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