Only three years have passed since an epic penalty shootout saw Roberto Mancini’s men lift their country’s second continental crown. But, as Giancarlo Rinaldi reports, much has changed as they look to achieve an unlikely repeat of that triumph.
Italy’s Euro dreams look a long shot
The European Nations title is a devilishly difficult honour to defend. In more than 60 years of existence it has only ever been retained once – and that was by a Spanish side which sandwiched a World Cup triumph in between. The odds, therefore, are stacked against the Azzurri reprising their Wembley heroics in Germany this summer.
If Italy went into Euro 2020 in a run of form that was one of the finest international football had ever seen, the same cannot be said this time around. Some of their star performers have either retired or sought refuge in the United States or, indeed, the Middle East – where their inspirational coach has also found a home. Having missed out entirely on playing in the World Cup, their preparations have been about as smooth as a mountain track across the Appenines.
A look at the injury list makes for painful reading too. Destiny Udogie, Giorgio Scalvini, Nicolò Zaniolo and Francesco Acerbi have all been sidelined in the build-up to the tournament. None of them guaranteed starters, perhaps, but all of them could have added depth to the squad of 26 which was ultimately selected by Luciano Spalletti. Examining that list was hardly the stuff to inspire enormous confidence.
On the pitch, too, it has been a tricky test drive for the new man in charge with more than a few bumps and bashes along the way. The latest friendlies underlined the difficulty in finding a prolific goalscorer which, in fairness, he inherited from his predecessor. They also showed a proclivity for sloppy defensive errors which would surely have cost them dear in the cut and thrust of proper competition and against more illustrious opponents.
That is not to say that they should abandon all hope before entering the gates of Euro 2024. There are some bright spots, if you care to pick them out, which should save Azzurri fans from total desolation. If they can build upon them then, just maybe, they can hit the kind of form which could take them deep into the tournament.
The format, after all, allows for some pretty poor early showings. If ever a nation made sneaking through as a best third-placed side a trademark it was probably Italy and even a sluggish start might not be fatal. Make it to the last 16, of course, and few would relish facing the reigning champions as lucky losers.
This team, lest we forget, still has a good slice of the side that did win the title in 2021. Although some stars have departed, they can still count on Gigio Donnarumma, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Nicolò Barella, Jorginho – just keep him away from the penalty spot – and Federico Chiesa, who all started that final. Bryan Cristante, Alessandro Bastoni, Giacomo Raspadori and Alex Meret are also survivors from that squad. It is not a bad backbone to take into the fight.
There are also some bright new lights worth pinning a few hopes on as well. While far from as bold as Mancini in giving youth a chance, Spalletti still has some fresher faces who will hope to make their mark on the international stage. Federico Dimarco has had an outstanding season with Inter and could well be the Leonardo Spinazzola of this edition. Riccardo Calafiori looked impeccably composed and elegant in the friendly clash with Bosnia – one small mistake aside. And the galloping Raoul Bellanova has potential to cause opposing full-backs a few headaches should he get his chance. Andrea Cambiaso offers the kind of adaptability that every manager loves.
The roll of the dice – apologies for a possibly insensitive pun – on Nicolò Fagioli is perhaps the most intriguing inclusion of all. Spalletti, perhaps, was feeling superstitious and cast his mind back to 1982 when another player returning from a ban – Paolo Rossi – did none too shabbily at a major tournament. If omens count for anything, that is not a bad one to have.
Inter’s Davide Frattesi confirmed in the last friendly before the competition that he is something of a lucky mascot for the new regime as well. He has a happy knack of popping up with a goal while playing behind a striker in the 3-4-2-1 formation that seems to be Italy’s preferred option for now. If he hasn’t played his way into the starting XI against Albania then many will be asking what more he could possibly have done.
And we wait, anxiously, for Gianluca Scamacca to deliver for his country what he did for Atalanta this season. He has all the qualities to terrorise defences and finally give the Azzurri the reference point in attack they have been missing for some time. If he could click into gear over the next month then there would be every chance of seeing echoes of Totò Schillaci in his eyes as he celebrated taking his country to the later stages of a tournament. Every nation will have the same hope that their hitman can find his mojo in the state of the art stadiums of Germany.
In tactics, too, there is cause for some national pride. Alongside Spalletti there will be no fewer than four of his countrymen in charge of teams at the Euros which surely attests to Italian expertise on the coaching front. He will hope to surpass Vincenzo Montella’s Turkey, Domenico Tedesco’s Belgium, Marco Rossi’s Hungary and Francesco Calzona’s Slovakia and show that he is top of that particular class. In doing so, he might well get close to lifting the trophy.
Nonetheless, the evidence before our eyes suggests that ultimate victory remains a tall order. The new Italy boss is not long in the job and this feels like a transitional squad rather than one to actually go all the way. The main thing would be to do themselves credit and show some progress has been made after the embarrassment of missing a World Cup. If they can do that – and produce some decent football along the way – most Azzurri fans would look forward to events in the USA, Canada and Mexico in a couple of years with a little more cheer in their hearts.
Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. You can follow him on X @ginkers and listen to him on the podcast Rigore!.