Tommaso Baldanzi is delighted along with his hat-trick for Italy’s U21 aspect on Tuesday night time, and has insisted that he’s eager to proceed enjoying in his pure trequartista function, regardless of ideas from Daniele De Rossi that he may very well be deployed in a deeper place for Roma.
The previous Empoli expertise spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport in an interview revealed on Thursday.
After grabbing a objective and an help within the first qualification match towards Norway simply shy of a yr in the past, and with a hat-trick towards them on Tuesday, Baldanzi was requested if the nation or their gamers had performed something to rile him up?
“They introduced me some luck,” Baldanzi joked in response. “I’m completely happy, we deserved this victory and now we’re aiming for qualification. Let’s have a good time our success, then we’ll return to specializing in the subsequent matches.
“It’s not luck, we’ve labored effectively, we’ve educated effectively over the previous few days.”
Baldanzi’s hat-trick towards Norway was the second of his profession so far, together with at youth degree.
“(I’ve bought one) solely as soon as earlier than, with Empoli Primavera towards SPAL in 2021, the season after successful the championship.”
He additionally remembers his final objective in senior soccer as effectively: “How may I neglect! Towards Juventus, my final recreation with Empoli. It was on the finish of January and a good bit of time has handed, so I’m completely happy to be again scoring.”
Baldanzi shares Italy U21 qualification goal
Italy are 4 factors clear on the high of their qualification group for the 2025 version of the U21 EUROs.
A degree of their last remaining qualifier towards the Republic of Eire can be sufficient to mathematically assure a spot on the last event, no matter outcomes elsewhere.
Baldanzi is happy that the 3-0 victory over Norway, who’re third within the group, gave the Azzurrini a little bit of respiratory room on the high.
“We would have liked it to separate ourselves from the groups beneath us, we additionally wanted it so we may calm down a bit of extra ourselves.
“Now there is just one match to mathematically qualify, so we additionally should win towards Eire. We care about that. Drawing can be sufficient, however we wish to win it anyway.
Does Baldanzi wish to put on the no.10 shirt, at present occupied by Leeds United’s Wilfried Gnonto?
“No, no, he’s no.10 and I’m no.11 for now. On the pitch although, we each play as tens. We at all times practice laborious, we wish to go far.
Baldanzi on Ricci, Tonali, Frattesi and his personal finest place
Baldanzi was additionally requested if he sees himself representing Luciano Spalletti’s senior Italy aspect on the World Cup in 2026: “It’s a objective for each younger Italian child. There’s time, I’ll proceed to work laborious and we’ll see what comes of it.”
He additionally rejects the suggestion that there’s a lack of expertise within the senior squad: “That’s not true, there are many sturdy gamers like (Samuele) Ricci, (Sandro) Tonali and (Davide) Frattesi.”
Baldanzi ended his interview with a short evaluation of his most pure place, which he feels is within the trequartista function. That’s regardless of ideas from Daniele De Rossi that he may very well be deployed as a box-to-box midfielder for Roma.
He stated: “Perhaps it’s a barely troublesome function, not all groups use it. I’ve at all times performed it and I’m completely happy to play in that place.”
Highlights: Magic Baldanzi hat-trick as Italy stun Norway 3-0
