Italy coach Luciano Spalletti
expressed satisfaction after his men shrugged off the
distraction of a betting scandal to thump Malta 4-0 in Bari in a
Euro 2024 qualifier on Saturday.
The Azzurri camp was rocked last week when midfielder Sandro
Tonali and winger Nicolo Zaniolo left the squad after it emerged
they are under investigation for alleged use of illegal gambling
sites.
But Italy took it all in their strike, winning comfortably with
goals by Giacomo Bonaventura and Davide Frattesi and a Domenico
Berardi double.
They are second in Euro 2024 qualifying Group C with 10 points
from five games, three behind leaders England ahead of the
teams' meeting at Wembley on Tuesday.
The Azzurri are ahead of Ukraine, who also have 10 points, on
goal difference.
"We've picked up three important points from a match we didn't
take lightly," Spalletti said.
"We're coming together well as a group as we seek to get to know
each other more and more.
"We're pretty pleased.
"These matches help us understand how good we are in tight
spaces and if we can be the high-quality Italy side that we need
to become in a short amount of time.
"Nevertheless, in terms of our tempo and dynamism, we have to do
more."
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