On the eve of the match, Italy midfielder Samuele Ricci attended a press conference

Italy will face Israel in the second round of the UEFA Nations League group stage. On the eve of the match, Italy midfielder Samuele Ricci attended a press conference.

Q: You achieved a great victory against the title favorites France in the last round. Did you expect something like this to happen?  
A:I didn’t expect us to get such a result against France, but I had a lot of faith in the work we did this week at Coverciano. We created a very united team and gave our all in the match. There are many strong players in the national team. Tonali? He’s always been strong; he's one of the most complete midfielders in the world. Playing in midfield with him makes everything easier.

Q: You are considered one of Italy's future stars. But Israel also has some great players. Do you know them?  
A: Honestly, I don’t know much about the Israeli players, but they will definitely give us a lot of trouble. They have some very promising young players, so we have to be very careful. Even though we just beat France, we must not let our guard down. These are the toughest games, and we have to show the same attitude we did against France.

Q: Are you ready to play two games in three days?  
A: Yes, if you put me on the pitch, I’ll have no problem. Pressure is part of the game, but these are the best games, and you have to be ready at all times. You have to work hard in training and then bring everything into the game. To be part of the match, you have to give 101% in training.

Q: You showed great determination when facing Mbappé and even dribbled past him in Italy's penalty area. Was that pure recklessness or something else?  
A: Maybe a bit of recklessness, but every player has some instincts, and those instincts come naturally and often succeed more easily than other things. So yes, at that moment in the penalty area, maybe I took a risk, but it turned out well.

Q: What do you think of Spalletti? What’s the current spirit of the national team?  
A Our spirit is right, and I believe we’ll face Israel with the same approach we had against France. This is a united team. Almost all of us play in Serie A, so we know each other well, and I think that makes a difference.

Q: Who was your childhood idol?  
A: As a midfielder, I really admired Pirlo, but I had many idols. We have had a lot of very strong players, but the one I watched the most was definitely Pirlo.

Q: After Friday’s match, did you receive any unexpected messages?  
A: Many people sent me messages… I was happy. After the match, I’m always happy to receive messages from my parents. Funny thing is, it was the only game they couldn’t watch, because they were on vacation in Corsica, while they usually follow all my matches.