A tough guy! Mancini talks about fighting with injuries: Unless my legs are cut off, I will never end the game

In the 9th round of Group I of the European Group Stage of the World Cup Qualifiers on November 14, Italy defeated Moldova 2-0 away from home. After the game, Italian defender Gianluca Mancini was interviewed by Rai.

■What is your interpretation of this game?

Mancini said: "We knew what kind of game this was going to be, and we prepared exactly for this kind of game. In the first half, we kept pressing there, but failed to open the game. The longer the time went, the harder the game became. Finally we finally broke the deadlock and scored the second goal 3 minutes before the end. If we had scored earlier, we might have scored more goals."

■What happened to you at the beginning? How cohesive is the team?

Mancini said: "I suffered a so-called 'old injury' at the beginning and persisted with the pain until the end. It is a wonderful thing to put on this jersey. To get me off, they had to cut off my legs. I stayed focused throughout the game with the pain. The team is very united. , We rotated a lot of people today, and everyone performed well. For me, a united team is the basis for great success. Even in difficulties, we did not spread out and finally opened up the situation. "

■What impact did the boos have on you?

Mancini said: "Of course we are not happy when we hear boos, but we focus on our performance on the field and work hard to improve and grow. We hope to turn the boos into applause."

■What does it feel like when you rush into the opponent's penalty area?

Mancini said: "I played as a forward and midfielder in the youth team. I will try to attack the landing point and imagine in advance how the cross will go. When a player with excellent footwork like Chiesa tonight crosses, when I judge where the ball will land I will try my best to rush in, and the effect is very good tonight."

Dimarco passed from the left, and Mancini leaned over to head the header to open the scoring.

■ Do you hope to play against Norway?

Mancini said: "The head coach will make a choice. The important thing is to stay in this team and remain united like tonight. If I need to play, I am always ready, but we must also respect the choice."