‘Italy never dies!’ Seven and a half seasons in Calcio make you convinced that Italy remains the favorite for the round of 16: this is the message delivered by Remo Freuler on D-3 of the clash.
‘We saw the match against Croatia. The Italians were behind in the score, but they didn’t give up. They never give up, in fact,’ explained the Bologna half-back. ‘The equaliser at the end of added time will do them the world of good. In the end, they finished in second place in a very strong group. They are the favourites for these round of 16. And to be honest, that suits me fine.’
‘All the difference’
At 32, Remo Freuler will deliver ‘one of the three biggest matches’ of his international career on Saturday in Berlin for his 71st selection. ‘This match will not be like any other. Italy is in my heart, he smiles. But in a round of 16, there is no room for love.’ The Zurich resident absolutely wants this victory which will tell whether the Swiss team will have succeeded in this Euro. ‘For now, we have done what we had to do. Pretty good, he judges. But that doesn’t count. This match against Italy will make all the difference.’
Remo Freuler and his teammates had a full week to prepare for this round of 16. The memory of the three matches played in 2021 against the Squadra Azzurra is still very present in the players’ memories. ‘We lost 3-0 first in the group stage of the Euro. A clear defeat, remembers Remo Freuler. Fortunately, we were able to react with two draws in the other two matches which allowed us to go to Qatar. Unlike the Italians…’
‘More than 10,000 fans to push us’
A memory, much more mortifying this one, comes back to the evocation of a round of 16: the 6-1 loss to Portugal during the 2022 World Cup. ‘The context is completely different, however, says Remo Freuler. This time we will have more than 10,000 fans behind us to push us. They were wonderful in the first three matches of the tournament. It’s up to us to make them happy for as long as possible to pay them back. I can make them a promise: the team that will be fielded on Saturday will have nothing to do with the one against Portugal. And we are not going to play like Scotland against Germany with ultra defensive tactics. We will play our football to hurt the Italians.’
One of the big ‘novelties’ of the Swiss team compared to the 2022 World Cup is the emergence of Dan Ndoye. Freurer’s teammate at the Rossoblu is emerging as the X-factor of the selection. ‘I didn’t really know him when we met last summer in Bologna,’ admits Remo Freuler. ‘With Dan, I discovered a player who is very strong in one-on-one, a player who is also capable of keeping the ball well. His goal against Germany did him the world of good. It took a weight off his shoulders. He is only 23 years old. He really has a great career ahead of him.’ Remo Freuler wouldn’t be against it taking on another dimension this Saturday.
/ATS
