Ex-Milan midfielder: Italy don’t need ‘Baggio or Del Piero’ to beat Bosnia
Former Milan and Fiorentina midfielder Cristian Brocchi is happy with the attitude Italian players showed against Northern Ireland and feels the Azzurri won’t need ‘Baggio or Del Piero’ to qualify for the World Cup, regardless of a fiery atmosphere in Bosnia.
Brocchi enjoyed Italy’s attitude in World Cup play-off semifinal
Italy will fly to Bosnia today on the eve of the World Cup play-off Final against Edin Dzeko’s Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Brocchi, a two-time Champions League winner with Milan and a former teammate of Gennaro Gattuso, spoke about the upcoming Final in an interview with Sport Mediaset.
“I liked the personalities of the key players. They proved to be aware of the importance of the game. Hopefully, they can have the same attitude [in the Final],” he said via TMW.
“I think Gattuso has hit the right spots. I liked the press conference where he established the core values that became the foundations of success throughout our careers. Italy no longer has Baggio or Del Piero, but they have strong players for this match.”
The Azzurri expect a hostile reception in Zenica, even if FIFA cut the stadium’s capacity by 20% following incidents in Bosnia’s most recent home game in November 2025.
“Everywhere’s the same. Everywhere you go, you find passionate fans,” Brocchi concluded.
“There’s everything at stake for both them and us. In Bergamo, we had an added value: the home fans. Now we must endure difficulties.”