New Italian national team coach Luciano Spalletti will have his debut against Macedonia and against for former Napoli player Elif Elmas. it will be an emotional moment for both.

photo by FIGC: Spalletti at the press-conference in Skopje

“Elif Elmas is like a son to me. With him, we won the Scudetto in a wonderful way. At Napoli I could always rely on him and use his qualities. Tomorrow, when we hug, of course I will have strong emotions. He is an exceptional player who knows his teammates well. He is a very strong player, but I also expect the other Macedonian players to play a good match,” said Spalletti during Friday’s press-conference.