European footie fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the 2024 UEFA European Championship in June. As always, every team in the tournament has a shot at winning, but many wonder how far Italy will go after recent changes to the team amid a very competitive field. Let’s review the factors determining Italy’s success at Euro 2024 and how likely they are to make a deep run in the tournament.
Group B Will Be Tough
Italy qualified for Euro 2024 following a scoreless draw with Ukraine, in which they secured the point needed to move past the qualifying stage. The dramatic December group draw put Italy in a challenging spot. The Italian team remains tough, but playing against a very talented Croatian squad that has finished in second and third in recent World Cups isn’t easy. Spain also presents a formidable matchup, as Luis de la Fuente’s teams are consistently difficult to beat. Albania will be the first team Italy plays when the tournament starts, and while they still represent a tough game, their pedigree isn’t quite on the level of Spain or Croatia.
Bettors still have decent odds that the Italian squad will make it out of the group stage and should consider wagering on the team through online bookmakers, many of which are also the best choice for Irish casino fans, especially if they pull off a win against Spain or Croatia. However, they shouldn’t need too much help, as the group stage rules advance three of the best third-place teams to the next round.
Will a Coaching Change Matter?
Italy had an unexpected coaching change when Roberto Mancini resigned in 2023. Luciano Spalletti took over after much success with Napoli, where he had won the first Serie A title in 33 years, leaving unforgettable memories at the Stadio Maradona.
Spalletti is known for innovation and has made some controversial roster selections leading to Euro 2024, excluding powerful names that brought Italy to success in years past. The newly appointed manager may be focused on players who already have chemistry, as he picked six members of Inter. For example, Spalletti didn’t include Euro 2020 winner Manuel Locatelli in favour of his Juventus teammate Nicolo Fagioli, who only recently returned to the team after being suspended for seven months for breaking betting rules.
Changes in the team’s roster have led to concerns that the offence will falter on the big stage. Still, we can trust Spalletti’s accomplishments and the logic of his decision-making. Here’s to hoping that choosing younger players capable of scoring goals instead of veteran but ageing strikers can lead the way out of one of the tougher groups at Euro 2024. Spalletti’s choices should at least make for very entertaining football!
Italy Is Underrated
Though Italy certainly have a history of success on the international stage, the team remains underrated against perennial powerhouses like England, Spain, and Germany. With so many younger players, Italy seems to be trying to build a team that will be ready for the Euro Cup and World Cup for years to come and is starting that process now instead of waiting.
While the team has received plenty of criticism for the country’s performance in failing to qualify for the World Cup in 2022, they are rising through the FIFA ranking. They have climbed to ninth place, squeezing between their group rivals, Spain and Croatia, as of the last release, in which Spain tumbled a couple of spots.
Will Italy Win the Tournament?
Many don’t think Italy can win Euro 2024, but these people felt exactly the same three years ago, so why not? Winning the 2020 UEFA Euro against England at Wembley Stadium was an incredible feat, but it will obviously be tough for the Azzurri to repeat what Spain did in 2008 and 2012, winning back-to-back Euros. We think Italy will get through the group stage with at least one win and a draw and even if this side has less experience than the one that won the Euros in 2021, Spalletti’s acumen and the talent of a few key players can help Italy come up big again.
Conclusion
Italy face an uphill battle to do well at the upcoming 2024 UEFA European Football Championship tournament. While they drew one of the toughest groups available, their young and talented roster and the resolute Spalletti management mean they have a good shot at getting out of the group round and gaining experience for some of the players who are ready to shine on the international stage. Regardless of how Azzurri do, we look forward to watching a solid month of the best football the UEFA has to offer. Tune in when the tournament starts in June!