Italy lost only four of the 47 games under Roberto Mancini, setting a new world unbeaten record, and failed to find the net just six times.
The Azzurri are not going to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, having finished second in their group behind Switzerland, then lost the play-offs semi-final 1-0 to North Macedonia in Palermo.
It is therefore worth looking back at the statistics over Mancini’s tenure since he took over in May 2018.
He has won 32 matches, drawn 11 and lost only four.
Those losses were to France and Portugal in 2018, Spain in the Nations League semi-final in 2021 and North Macedonia in 2022.
His Azzurri scored 109 goals and conceded 28, firing blanks on only six occasions out of 47.
It has become more of an issue recently, failing to find the net for two games running – 1-0 to North Macedonia and 0-0 in Northern Ireland – and three times in the last seven matches.
Mancini will go down in history not just for winning UEFA EURO 2020, but also for setting a new all-time world unbeaten record for international teams.
Italy went 37 official games unbeaten from September 2018 to October 2021, with 27 wins and 10 draws. Spain and Brazil had the previous record at 35, set in 2007 and 1993-96.