Italy seemingly returned to the world stage with their victory at Euro 2020 but exactly two years on, things hardly look better than they did before that tournament for the Azzurri, Apollo Heyes suggests.
When Roberto Mancini took over as Italy coach in 2018, he was tasked with restoring the national team’s confidence and belief after their failure to qualify for the World Cup in Russia.
After a slow start, Italy began to pick up steam under Mancini and entered Euro 2020 with a point to prove, keen to redeem themselves after the pains of two years prior. Their winning run in the build-up to the tournament allowed them to take part with a spring in their step.
The Azzurri did not disappoint in the tournament and lifted the trophy after beating England on penalties at Wembley, the national team’s first success since the World Cup in Germany 15 years prior.
At this point, Italy seemed to be back. With players like Gianluigi Donnarumma, Manuel Locatelli and Federico Chiesa, the future looked bright for Mancini’s side and expectations were sky high for the World Cup in Qatar, with many believing that victory was a concrete possibility.
Well, we all know how the story goes next. Italy floundered in their post-Euro 2020 comedown and poor results in qualification left them in the play-offs, where they’d face North Macedonia before taking on the winner of Turkey-Portugal, a difficult but not impossible task.
The Azzurri fell at the first hurdle, losing to North Macedonia 1-0 in Palermo, breaking hearts across the peninsula once again. Many expected Mancini to swiftly resign after this, but he decided to stay on in the role.
Almost 18 months later, enthusiasm for the Italian national team is seemingly at an all-time low. Mancini’s side have struggled to look exciting in their Euro 2024 qualifying matches and their work in the Nations League left a lot to be desired.
With a year to go until Euro 2024, Mancini is now in a familiar position, needing to somehow reignite passion for the Azzurri after missing out on the World Cup in Qatar.
Youth level has restored some hope, especially with the Under-20 side’s second place finish at their World Cup, but the failings of the Under-21 team in their European Championship campaign left fans with more questions than answers.
Two years ago today, Italy found redemption on the European stage. Can they manage to do the same in 12 months’ time?
Twitter: @ApolloHeyes
The evidence suggest so.
Post my comments!
The new line up should consist of a 4-4-2: Donnarumma/Vicario; Di Lorenzo/Lazzari, Mancini, Bastoni/Scalvini, Spinazzola/Dimarco; Chiesa, Frattesi, Barella, Zaccagni; Zaniolo, Orsolini/Retegui.
Harsh comments. Italy were unlucky against North Macedonia and didn’t deserve to lose at home to England because of a dubious penalty decision. Italy 🇮🇹 will bounce back
Flash in the pan italia , 6 world Cup finals and 4 euro finals,don’t be ridiculas.
we were lucky to win the euros games won in a shoot out we could of been elimanated if we are un able to finish games always depending keeper shoot out this is an old problem and it goes on on we will have trouble in the euros unlike england mancini out balotelli shoulb be brought in
Italy need to discover that hard to beat attitude they always seemed to have.Unfortunately Italian clubs seem hell bent on buying foreign players rather than investing in their own young italian players as the Under 21 fiasco shows. Even with their academy’s the clubs still aquire foreign talent, again to the detriment of young Italian players.I fear Italy will struggle to even qualify fir the EUROS and the World Cup too.