Roberto Martinez has hailed the work of Roberto Mancini in turning Italy into a major international force once again, while expressing his hope that he can finally bring Belgium's wait for silverware to an end.
The Belgium national team boss saw his side lose to the Italians at the quarter-final stage at Euro 2020, expressing his belief that the Red Devils were perhaps at a psychological disadvantage due to their trophy drought.
And Martinez is hoping Belgium can finally break that duck as they prepare to face France in the Nations League semi-finals, where they will then hope to set-up a meeting with either Mancini's Italy or Spain in the final.
Martinez on Italy & Roberto Mancini
Italy gained plaudits for their modern style of football as they defeated England to claim Euro 2020 glory over the summer and Martinez has been impressed with what he's seen from Mancini's side, especially after their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
He told Goal at the Belgian FA's Proximus Basecamp: "I have a very good image of Roberto Mancini, he has created a team with real clarity and a way of playing that is more expected from a club team than a national team.
"They have had a completely different journey and I think it has been very clever the way he took the opportunity to pick a team that didn’t qualify for the 2018 World Cup and keep all the same aspects and basics
of Italian football that we all expect.
"They were very, very impressive in the Euros. For a team that didn’t qualify for the previous tournament, it is very impressive. We found that when we played them in that first half, one of the impressions we got was that this team had the momentum that a lot of other teams didn’t have at the top."
Could Martinez ever manage in Serie A?
Having spent much of his career working in England, Martinez, who has been linked with replacing Ronald Koeman at Barcelona, reflected on what principles he follows when deciding on a managerial job.
Asked about potentially taking charge of a club in Italy, Martinez added: "I always say that in football I believe in the relationship and the football project. It doesn’t matter where it might be in the world. It’s about having the time and means to have a long-term project and build something.
"That’s what I really enjoy, building something. That’s the importance of the person that believes in you rather than the nature of the league that you are working in."
Martinez on Belgium's psychological barrier
"I think there’s a big psychological barrier for a national team to win a trophy [for the first time]," Martinez said, reflecting on Belgium's run to the quarters at Euro 2020.
"We have seen national teams that have had good and bad moments in tournaments, like Italy did in 2018, but they feel whenever they are in a tournament that they have the right to win it. I think if you’ve never won a major tournament, you don’t feel like you have that psychological approach.
"We are delighted with the Nations League, it's a great addition. I think it has solved a lot of problems in international football in terms of development and is something worth winning.
"We are going to play nations close to our world ranking and we had to get to the semi-finals by playing against England and Denmark, who both had great Euros.
"This is an opportunity to enjoy two outstanding games but it is probably through history and good work that gives these players confidence to try and win these games.
"We haven’t got that back-up of having been European champions or world champions to feel that way but we do have the commitment and talent that this generation gives you."
Further reading
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