Di Lorenzo: 'Attacking Italy Now Is Unhelpful' After Belgium Loss

Giovanni Di Lorenzo asked for patience from fans and media following Italy's 2-0 loss to Belgium. "If we start tearing the national team apart again immediately, it's not helpful."

The Azzurri have begun a new phase under Roberto Mancini, who previously led them to victory in the European Championship in 2021. This success stands in contrast to recent failures, including three consecutive World Cup qualification misses.

Their Nations League campaign opened poorly with a 2-0 home defeat against Belgium, marked by goals from Mika Godts and Dodi Lukebakio.

“It's certainly not pleasant to leave the field to jeers, but we have to accept them,” Di Lorenzo told RAI Sport. “The team gave its best. It’s a shame because we wanted to start the group well, and we know we need to improve. We felt tense at the start but improved as the game progressed.”

Belgium also debuted a new coach and seemed to adapt more quickly to Mark van Bommel’s tactics.

“They have excellent individual players and capitalized on our mistakes today. It’s a pity, especially as we were playing better and had chances to equalize after conceding the second goal. We must build on the positives we saw. This is the right direction, and we understand the coach’s vision for a positive, courageous team. This is the first of four games in two weeks; we made mistakes but will perform better going forward.”

Italy appears to struggle with a psychological burden from past disappointments and the current pressure.

“It wasn’t a terrible performance. At times, we controlled the game, but matches can change quickly. It’s a new era with new players who might make mistakes in their initial games. If we immediately start criticizing the national team again, it’s not helpful,” Di Lorenzo warned. “We aim to be competitive as soon as possible. I also believe there's a self-esteem issue that can only be addressed through positive results against strong opponents. We will give our all.”

Kevin De Bruyne was impressive for Belgium. Di Lorenzo knows him from their time at Napoli.

“He’s a phenomenal player, and I’m fortunate to see him in training daily. He had a great performance tonight, unfortunately for us, but his quality is undeniable.”