Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that with Antonio Conte at the helm of the Italy national team, they can beat anyone.
The captain of both Juventus and the national team heaped praise on Azzurri head coach Conte, who brought three consecutive Scudetti to Serie A table toppers Juventus before surprisingly leaving the club last summer.
“Since joining [the national team], Conte has tried to stamp his style onto the team from a tactical point of view,” Buffon told UEFA’s official website. “He is imposing a new seriousness to the training we partake in.
“The coach thinks that the harder we train, the better we are on the field, and I agree.
“We’ve been practicing like this for three years already at Juventus and I hope it can be the same even on the national team.
“He is respected among the players and everyone believes in his credibility. This stems from the fact that he treats everyone fairly and equally.
“Whenever he decides who plays, we are all on a level playing field, which is a very good way to work.”
The veteran then turned his attention to the team’s upcoming game against Bulgaria.
“When you play away to eastern teams, you always encounter many difficulties,” he said.
“Against sides such as Italy, they will put in 120 percent effort because it gives them a chance to show off what they can do.
“It will be a difficult match, but if we play with the right mentality and enough concentration, we can beat anyone.”
