Luciano Spalletti: "Italy can enjoy football, but we must not forget our failures"
Italy have enjoyed a remarkable resurgence under Roberto Mancini, winning Euro 2020 and reaching the Finalissima against Argentina.
However, Spalletti is keen to ensure that Italy do not become complacent and forget the lessons of the past.
The former Inter Milan coach said: "We are enjoying this moment and we are proud of what we have achieved. But we must not forget where we came from.
"We must remember the dark days, when we failed to qualify for the World Cup. We must learn from those experiences and make sure that we never go through them again."
Spalletti is right to sound a note of caution.
Italy have a long history of underachieving at major tournaments, and they cannot afford to rest on their laurels.
The Azzurri must continue to work hard and improve if they want to maintain their status as one of the world's leading football nations.
Spalletti said: "We have a lot of young players in this squad, and they have the potential to be even better than we are now.
"But they need to keep working hard and learning from the more experienced players in the team.
"We have a bright future ahead of us, but we must not get ahead of ourselves. We must stay humble and keep working hard."
Conclusion
Luciano Spalletti is right to warn Italy against complacency. The Azzurri have achieved great things in recent years, but they must not forget the lessons of the past.
If Italy want to continue to be successful, they must keep working hard and improving. They must also stay humble and remember that they are not invincible.
The Azzurri have the potential to be one of the best teams in the world, but they must not take anything for granted.