Italy, Ventura: "There was no arrangement with Barzagli. The Netherlands will be an important test"

Tomorrow Italy will compete in a friendly match against the Netherlands. Giampiero Ventura spoke ahead of the match in a press conference where he first addressed the question of Andrea Barzagli: "I am perplexed by the situation surrounding Barzagli. He came to play an important match, and then requested to have three days off in order to address certain personal problems. There was no arrangement. The Netherlands? They will be a good test. It is an opportunity to understand the competency of our work thus far. Sacchi's criticism? I had two feelings: delusion and curiosity. I wanted to see the first two games of Sacchi's Italy in the World Cup in order to see what I did wrong. The play was lackluster as the first shot arrived in the 70th minute. Perhaps Sacchi was speaking of his Milan, and in that case he would be correct. I think that our sport requires respect. The young players? We must let them grow in a calm environment because they are our future. The prerequisites for doing something important are all there, but ultimately, what we do on the pitch will determine our success. I am very confident because I see the appropriate amount of desire and humility in these players, and these are fundamental characteristics for a player to have."