Italy international Nicolo Barella clarified that he was not frustrated by his exclusion against Turkey in the second round of the UEFA Nations League, explaining that they play football, not tennis.
Nicolo Barella
Club: Inter
The Italian national team is preparing to face its rival Turkey in the match that will bring them together in the fourth round of the UEFA Nations League tomorrow, Monday.
Barella said during the press conference: "I am not old, but I have played many matches and had to learn how to listen to my body. When you play 70 matches a year, you won't have the same vitality and sharpness you had at age 23, but according to statistics, I am still one of the players who covers the most distance."
He added, "The only thing missing for me with the national team is scoring some goals; this is the aspect where I am still lagging behind."
He continued, "I did not feel frustrated by being excluded from the Turkey match, because this sport is a team game, not tennis."
He emphasized, "The best thing about Mancini is that he gives us a sense of calm. We went through very difficult and negative experiences in recent years."
The Italian national team occupies third place in the group with 4 points, while Turkey trails the standings without any points.
The French national team tops the group with 7 points, and the Belgian national team comes in second place with 6 points.
