Michael O'Neill, the Northern Ireland manager, has thrown down the gauntlet to Italy ahead of the playoff match between the two teams for World Cup qualification, stating that while he respects the team, their strength lies in the collective, as they no longer have players of the caliber of Totti or Del Piero. In a press conference held in Bergamo, O'Neill began by praising his Italian counterpart, Gattuso. 'I admire him now and admired him as a player. He has taken on a situation that was not easy and is doing well,' he said. However, the tone shifted when questioned by an Italian journalist. 'Italy has a strong midfield and attack as well. But they no longer have Totti or Del Piero, so I would say the strength is the group,' he declared, adding a note of irony: 'And we also know there is a lot of pressure on Italy; we showed your articles to the players, so thank you.' Despite the diplomatic remarks, confidence within the Northern Irish camp, which also included captain Trai Hume (Sunderland), seems to be high. 'I strongly believe in this group, which is young and fearless. We have everything to gain; there is great expectation on Italy as a big nation,' O'Neill explained, emphasizing that his team should not feel intimidated by the opponent or the stadium, which 'reminds me of Belfast.' 'Gattuso has had six games as a manager; we know what can happen both in attack and defense. I don't think we are underestimated, but I also don't think we are just the long ball team; Italy plays those too,' he noted. O'Neill concluded with a message of pride and determination, recalling his team's past achievements: 'We have beaten great teams; we have a game plan that we have used against big teams, especially away from home. There are stronger teams than us that haven't gone far, so we are proud and not afraid of not performing to our capabilities. We are more than ready.'
Del Piero Northern Ireland remains central to this story.
Del Piero Northern Ireland remains central to this story.
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