Italy bowed out of EURO 2024 with a whimper after a dismal performance in their 2-0 defeat to Switzerland, including a goal from Bologna’s Remo Freuler.
The Olympiastadion in Berlin was where the Azzurri won the 2006 World Cup Final, but here they said goodbye to their title of reigning European Champions. Riccardo Calafiori was suspended and Federico Dimarco injured, but Alessandro Bastoni shook off flu symptoms. Luciano Spalletti returned to a four-man defence, bringing in Gianluca Mancini, Matteo Darmian, Nicolò Fagioli, Federico Chiesa, Gianluca Scamacca and Stephan El Shaarawy. Switzerland had Silvan Widmer suspended and almost topped their group, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser with Germany.
See how it unfolded on the LIVEBLOG.
Breel Embolo sprung the offside trap on 24 minutes and was clear on goal, but denied by a Gianluigi Donnarumma one-handed save on the right-foot curler.
Where would Italy be without Gianluigi Donnarumma in this tournament? #BBCEuros #Euro2024 #SUIITA pic.twitter.com/aVhjhZkrWp
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 29, 2024
Chiesa’s effort was deflected for a corner, but Switzerland took a thoroughly deserved lead when Ruben Vargas rolled across for Bologna man Remo Freuler to surge through the centre relatively undisturbed, given the time to control and drill into the near bottom corner from 12 yards.
Switzerland lead Italy! 🇨🇭
Nottingham Forest's Remo Freuler with a crucial goal in Berlin. #BBCEuros #Euro2024 #SUITA pic.twitter.com/YoOiONaZL9
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 29, 2024
In first half stoppages, Donnarumma fingertipped a surprise Fabian Rieder free kick onto the near post with real difficulty.
Zaccagni, whose last-gasp equaliser against Croatia allowed Italy to qualify, came on for El Shaarawy at half-time, but within 27 seconds Switzerland had doubled their lead with a Ruben Vargas curler into the far top corner with his right boot. Again, the move was started by a misplaced Fagioli pass on the kick-off and he was given far too much time and space to get the shot away.
Just 27 seconds into the second half and Switzerland double their lead 😮#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #SUIITA pic.twitter.com/vh2NIcEPzm
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 29, 2024
Fabian Schär almost gifted Italy a way back into the game with a bizarre header that looped onto the upright of his own goal, leaving Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer stunned.
What a spectacular OG this would have been! 😬#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #SUIITA pic.twitter.com/wtSlnP3L3H
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 29, 2024
Mateo Retegui came on and bobbled a weak effort into the arms of Sommer, while Gianluca Scamacca flicked the ball onto the far post from close range, though was perhaps offside.
Italy's best chance of the match goes begging.. 😬#BBCEuros #Euro2024 #SUIITA pic.twitter.com/zl9aZjQ5pf
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 29, 2024
Switzerland 2-0 Italy
Freuler 37 (S), Vargas 46 (S)
Player statistic
| 35' |  |
Nicolò Barella | ||
| Remo Freuler (Assist: Ruben Vargas) |
 |
37' | ||
| 45' | |
Stephan El Shaarawy |
| Ruben Vargas (Assist: Michel Aebischer) |
|
46' | ||
| 57' | |
Gianluca Mancini |
Match statistic
What Spalletti has done to us over the past 3 games has been nothing short of criminal. I think that was probably the 3 worst consecutive games I’ve seen us play in my entire lifetime.
Weakest Italy side I’ve seen in my lifetime. This was no doubt worse than Ventura’s team. That side was confused and had trouble creating goal scoring opportunities. Those side was even more confused and got dominated in almost all matches by all the opponents!
The absolute nadir of Italian football in the last 50 years I would say. There have been low moments with underperforming teams that should have achieved more (2002,2010) but this was on another level, because this is THE low level of Italian football now. Not a single one of these players would get anywhere near an Italy squad from the years 1990-2006. Whereas Italy once had Baggio, Signori, Zola, Di Canio, Del Piero, Chiesa who all could have played number 10, now Italy don’t even have one of that kind of player. It won’t get better for a long time.
The problem was not the players. Almost this same group of players won the Euros four years ago with Immobile who was as useless as our strikers today. This squad is better than Switzerland’s. The coach was the problem. There’s a reason Spalletti won his first trophy at almost 65, when he finally found a high quality team tailored to his style of play. He didn’t understand this Italy team can’t play the same way, or he didn’t have the knowledge to use them differently. Then all the tinkering and changes of formation and players in every single match of this tournament. No wonder even Italy’s best players were confused. Suddenly back to 4-3-3 with SES and Fagioli from the first minute for this match. SMH This is his failure.
Get This manager Spelletti out now. Worst squad he picked. No Lucateli. Defense is horrible
Desperately pathetic performance with pathetic, poor selection and tactics from Spalletti too. Cristante, Darmian, DiLorenzo in starting 11 and Scamacca going back to his old useless form led to the slow, predictable, sloppy play unable to change under the great press from excellent Switzerland.
I am not going to blame the players nor the coach for this, I am not quite sure what happened…
But this is the worst Italy squad I have ever seen performed in a big tournament. Absolutely terrible performance.
Honestly : Good to be out. I personally couldn’t watch another game like this.
Donnarumma, Chiesa, Calafiori and Barella. Everyone else apart from these 4 that played this shambles of a Euro 2024 title defence should never be selected for an Italy side ever again.. Tell them straight that was the last time.. Sickening disgrace.. I expected the English pundits to have a good laugh at our expense but instead they spoke how all we Italian supporters feel. To lose is one thing but to lose in a gutless, spineless, pathetic, lazy manner they did. You bring shame on the nation and undid all the feel good factor from 3 years ago.. thats the only comfort, winning Euro 2020. Without that, Italian Football would be well and truly in the dirt.. mind with this lot, we are heading to new lows..
It’s not simply that they lost, it’s that they lost in such a weak and lazy manner.
There is a lot of work to be done now. Pundits and managers speak about ‘identity’. There was none in this team. It was a shambles. The players are good enough so Spalletti has to find a system that works. It was clear that he was clueless this time; the number of changes, even in each game, indicated confusion and lack of clarity.