Vicario: ‘Grateful’ to Spalletti, Europa Leauge ‘epic’ for Tottenham

“He’s the coach who gave me my senior debut. I’m the only goalkeeper who has managed to play four games since Donnarumma came along. I’ll always be grateful to him,” said Vicario.

“I haven’t written to him yet. I want to send him a message that truly reflects what I feel, then have a proper conversation, as people who shared a life journey through sport.

“He was our leader, in good and bad times. He fully embraced the role, and he gave us a lot. We’ll start over, with the same awareness of what he left us, both in footballing and moral terms.”

The Azzurri were disappointing in last summer’s Euros, facing elimination in the round of 16 against Switzerland. The improvements over the last year have been limited. Despite convincing wins over France and Belgium, the Azzurri suffered a brutal blow in their World Cup qualification race with a defeat against their main group rival, Norway.

“We don’t make excuses, because when you lose big games, there’s no point looking for them. You have to take responsibility,” admitted Vicario.

Vicario: ‘Epic’ Europa League for Tottenham

“That said, we entered crucial matches after a season in which each of us had played over fifty games.”

Vicario is Italy’s second-choice keeper behind Gianluigi Donnarumma, to whom he is very much attached.

“There’s a great bond. When I first joined the national team, he had already played 45 international games. Now, he’s at 74, which says everything about Gigio,” said Vicario.

“I have nothing but respect for him. I’m happy to be his sparring partner, but I’m also very competitive.”

Vicario has just won his first major trophy at Tottenham, lifting the Europa League.

“The Europa League is a major trophy. It was epic for Tottenham,” he concluded.