Italy international Guglielmo Vicario insists he’ll always be grateful to ex-Italy coach Luciano Spalletti: ‘He was our leader, in good and bad times.’

Tottenham goalkeeper Vicario discussed Spalletti’s Italy exit in an interview with La Repubblica.

The 66-year-old was sacked after a 3-0 loss against Norway last week, but remained in charge for one more game against Moldova, which the Azzurri won 2-0.

LEIPZIG, GERMANY – JUNE 24: Mattia Zaccagni of Italy celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s first goal to equalise during the UEFA EURO 2024 group stage match between Croatia and Italy at Football Stadium Leipzig on June 24, 2024 in Leipzig, Germany.

“He’s the coach who gave me my senior debut. I’m the only goalkeeper who has managed to play four games since Donnarumma came along. I’ll always be grateful to him,” said Vicario.

“I haven’t written to him yet. I want to send him a message that truly reflects what I feel, then have a proper conversation, as people who shared a life journey through sport.

“He was our leader, in good and bad times. He fully embraced the role, and he gave us a lot. We’ll start over, with the same awareness of what he left us, both in footballing and moral terms.”

The Azzurri were disappointing in last summer’s Euros, facing elimination in the round of 16 against Switzerland. The improvements over the last year have been limited. Despite convincing wins over France and Belgium, the Azzurri suffered a brutal blow in their World Cup qualification race with a defeat against their main group rival, Norway.

“We don’t make excuses, because when you lose big games, there’s no point looking for them. You have to take responsibility,” admitted Vicario.