Several football pundits and ordinary fans in Italy have commented on the Azzurri’s elimination from EURO 2024 using the same words: “I’ve never seen such a bad performance from the national team.”
Three of the country’s most famous journalists said this at the end of the match against Switzerland on Saturday: Fabio Caressa, Italy’s commentator for Sky Sport Italia, Sandro Sabatini, and Enrico Mentana.
Many ordinary fans feel exactly the same, and indeed, this is what the supporters at the Olympiastadion thought yesterday when Gigio Donnarumma and his teammates approached the Azzurri sector to apologise.
Italy don’t have superstars like Kylian Mbappé or Jude Bellingham. Not anymore. But the same was true three years ago when La Nazionale stunned the entire continent, becoming European champions and beating teams like Belgium, Spain and England.
Possibly, Antonio Conte’s Italy at EURO 2016 was weaker than the team getting ready to fly back to Italy after collecting one win, one draw, and two defeats in this summer’s tournament.
Conte eliminated Spain from the EURO 2016 Round of 16 with this starting XI: Buffon; Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli; De Sciglio, Giaccherini, De Rossi, Parolo, Florenzi; Éder, Pellè.
Despite World Cup failures Italy hit new low with EURO 2024 exit
Nothing against any of them, of course. The defence – the iconic BBC – was beyond solid, and the midfield could rely on both Daniele De Rossi and Thiago Motta, who was introduced from the bench in the second half against Spain. But where was the quality? That Italy side didn’t have much, especially in the final third. Nevertheless, they showed something that every Italian football fan still remembers today: the grit, La Grinta, that this national team in Germany didn’t show.
There was no clear plan from Spalletti, who will remain in charge with several questions to answer, and there was no sign of effort or desire from the players to turn the game around against Switzerland. The Azzurri never reacted to the Swiss’ goals, and they once again had a poor approach in the second half.
This apparent lack of desire and motivation is what has frustrated Italian fans and media the most.
Nobody expected a second consecutive European trophy, but everyone expected to see a team willing to fight, not one that seemed to have given up with more than 40 minutes remaining.
Even when the Azzurri failed to qualify for the World Cup in 2018 and 2022, despite the pressure, tension and the concern that they would not have made it, players still tried to create something, even if out of desperation. Spalletti’s men didn’t do it against Switzerland, and that’s why today the general feeling in Italy is that La Nazionale has hit a new low and will have to start from scratch once again.