There have been no victories in all preliminary round matches for Italy for more than 20 years. In addition, the team is currently setting one record after another without a real star. The journey at the EM should go a long way.
After the final whistle, Roberto Mancini felt transported back 30 years. “I was very happy. I went back a few years to an extraordinary moment,” said the Italian national coach about the minutes after his team’s 1-0 victory in the European Championship preliminary round against Wales, when the World Cup song 1990 “Un ‘ estate italiana “by Gianna Nannini sounded from the loudspeakers in the Olympic Stadium in Rome. At that time Mancini was there as a player and finished third with Italy. He now wants to achieve a similar success as national coach with the current team at the EM.
Italy finished the preliminary round as group winners with the perfect result of three wins from three games – for the first time since 2000 that was achieved again. Before the round of 16, which the Azzurri will contest on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London against Austria or the Ukraine, the team with their impressive performances in the group stage have increasingly played their way into the circle of the title favorites. “Another tournament is about to begin,” said Mancini. “If the boys keep playing like this, I’ll be happy. I don’t ask for more.”
The Italians lack a real star
It is true that the Azzurri could not build on the very strong performances of the 3-0 victories against Turkey and Switzerland in their third round match in front of their own fans in Rome. The 1-0 goal from Matteo Pessina (39th minute) was more than deserved and could have been even higher.
Mancini was particularly pleased to see that his team also works across the board. The coach made eight changes in his starting eleven and even gave substitute goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu the chance to play minutes just before the end. “Even if you swap some players, nothing should change,” said the 56-year-old as he expressed his claim. “They all know what to do.”
A real star is missing from the Italian team – but the strengths are the balanced squad and the team spirit. “It’s a victory for the group,” said goal scorer Pessina, who had only slipped into the European Championship squad as a successor and now scored after a well-rehearsed free kick by Marco Verratti. “It’s an indescribable feeling. I may not have realized it yet,” said the 24-year-old.
Azzurri set an ancient record
Even before the start of the knockout phase of the tournament, the Azzurri provide superlatives: The 1-0 win against Wales was the 30th undefeated game in a row. Mancini thus set Vittorio Pozzo’s age-old record from 1935 to 1939. “Pozzo has also won many other important things, we are still behind at the moment,” said Mancini, referring to the 1934 and 1938 world champions.
The team has now won eleven games in a row without conceding a goal. The Squadra Azzurra has not received a hit for 1055 minutes – one of many records that the team would like to further expand in the knockout phase. “We live in the moment and are happy to be here together,” said the strong Federico Chiesa and promised: “Now the best begins.”
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