⚽ Italy – Key Euros Stats ⚽
Euro appearances: 10
Euro Titles: 2
Greatest end: Winners (1968, 2020)
Euros Report: W21 D18 L6
Targets scored: 52
Largest win: 3-0 (vs Turkey and vs Switzerland in Euro 2020)
Participant to observe: Federico Dimarco
World rating: ninth
Group Fixtures:
- 15 June: Italy vs Albania (BVB Stadion, Dortmund, 9pm native/19:00 GMT)
- 20 June: Spain vs Italy (Area AufSchalke, Gelsenkirchen, 9pm native/19:00 GMT)
- 24 June: Croatia vs Italy (Leipzig Stadium, Leipzig, 9pm native/19:00 GMT)
The best way to comply with our Euro 2024 protection: UEFA Euro 2024 on Al Jazeera
Italy arrives on the Euros as defending champions, however the title comes with out the aura; it has been step by step eroding since that unimaginable summer season night time at Wembley, London, in 2021.
Lower than a yr after their crowning glory on the Euros, the Azzurri encountered the ignominy of lacking out on the 2022 Qatar World Cup after a surprising stoppage time purpose noticed them lose their playoff semifinal to soccer minnows North Macedonia.
Their qualification marketing campaign for Euro 2024 was equally fraught.
After their first two qualifiers – a loss to England and a win over Malta – Italy had been rocked by the resignation of supervisor Roberto Mancini after greater than 5 years within the job.
He was changed by Luciano Spalletti, whose first recreation in cost was a 1-1 draw, which additionally occurred to be towards their 2022 nemesis, North Macedonia. With just one victory of their first three video games, Euro 2024 qualification all of a sudden seemed precarious.
A run of three wins in 4 matches noticed Italy go into the ultimate group recreation towards Ukraine, understanding a loss would see them enter the playoffs. A tense goalless draw secured direct passage to the Euros owing to their superior head-to-head file.
Wager gone mistaken
To go together with their qualification woes, the Italian aspect’s preparations had been rocked by a betting scandal that noticed the police go to the nationwide workforce’s Coverciano coaching centre forward of their qualifiers in October to query Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo. The duo subsequently left the camp and Tonali was later handed a 10-month ban by the Italian Soccer Federation.
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli was additionally handed a seven-month ban after being discovered responsible within the investigation, however he was named in Italy’s remaining 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
His inclusion is indicative of the dearth of attacking choices in entrance of Spalletti.
Zaniolo and ahead Domenico Berardi had been dominated out of the match via harm, whereas Marco Verratti and Lorenzo Insigne now not play their membership soccer in Europe and have light from nationwide favour.
Accidents have hindered Federico Chiesa’s progress, with the 26-year-old Juventus ahead but to recapture the shape that noticed him mild up Euro 2020.
Gianluca Scamacca, who scored 19 targets for Europa League winners Atalanta this season, is anticipated to guide the entrance line however he has scored simply as soon as for Italy in his 15 appearances.
Giacomo Raspadori is the opposite placing choice at Spalletti’s disposal, however he has managed solely 12 targets throughout the final two seasons.
Defence is the most effective type of assault
All this factors to a aspect that will probably be constructed round its defence. Unsurprisingly, Azzurri are usually not missing for expertise on this division – their 30-man preliminary squad options 11 eleven defenders.
Of those 11, 4 had been from Inter Milan – previous to Francesco Acerbi’s late harm withdrawal – and given the Nerazzurri’s parsimonious defence this yr, the remaining three Inter defenders are all more likely to begin in Germany.
The 22 targets Inter conceded within the Serie A this season are the bottom amongst all golf equipment in Europe’s high 5 leagues. The feat was achieved enjoying a back-three. So, replicating a system with a bunch of defenders already snug enjoying in it feels an virtually no-brainer for Spalletti’s nationwide workforce at Euro 2024.
The supervisor fielded a three-man defence for the primary time in his tenure within the March 2024 friendlies towards Venezuela and Ecuador, with Italy occurring to win each. The pattern dimension is small however the ceiling might be excessive.
A backline comprising of Alessandro Bastoni and Alessandro Boungiorni – the possible Acerbi alternative – with Federico Dimarco and Matteo Darmian at wing-back is, on paper, probably the greatest defences at Euro 2024.
However will that be sufficient to take them deep within the match?
Spalletti admitted in an interview with Sky Italia that there are different international locations which might be at a better degree than Italy however backed his workforce to compete with them.
“Our goal is to return from Germany and listen to Italians say, ‘We’re pleased with you,’” he mentioned.
Drawn in a tough group that features Spain, Croatia and Albania, even a quarterfinal end would go a great distance in direction of serving to Spalletti meet this goal.
If the Italians can pull off an unlikely match coup, they are going to be part of Germany and Spain because the file three-time European champions.
⚽ Italy’s remaining squad for Euro 2024 ⚽
Captain: Gianluigi Donnarumma
Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris St Germain), Alex Meret (Napoli), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur)
Defenders: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna), Andrea Cambiaso (Juventus), Matteo Darmian (Inter), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Federico Dimarco (Inter Milan), Federico Gatti (Juventus), Gianluca Mancini (Roma)
Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Fagioli (Juventus), Michael Folorunsho (Hellas Verona), Davide Frattesi (Inter Milan), Jorginho (Arsenal), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma)
Forwards: Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Stephan El Shaarawy (Roma), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Mattia Zaccagni (Lazio)
You possibly can comply with the motion on Al Jazeera’s devoted Euro 2024 match web page with all of the match buildup and stay textual content commentary, and maintain updated with group standings and real-time match outcomes & schedules.
