How Italy’s reign of turmoil came full circle ahead of Euro 2024

The opening montages of Euro 2024 are certain to include some recent history. The chiselled Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini standing as Italy’s hard-faced defensive wall. The towering Gianluigi Donnarumma diving to save a penalty down low to his left. Roberto Mancini, in a crisp white shirt, draped in the Italian flag and holding the trophy on the Wembley pitch. Italy as European champions.

It may only be three years ago but so much has changed since beating England on penalties. Mancini is long gone and Bonucci and Chiellini have retired from celebrating blocks and last-ditch clearances. In Germany, Italy are playing under the shadow of history: of their triumph at the last Euros and their victory at the 2006 World Cup, the last major tournament to be held in the country. But Italy are not being talked about as potential winners. Rather, they are hardly being talked about at all.

Now, a fresh, inexperienced squad is what remains after the turmoil of Italy’s reign as European champions. Failure to qualify for the 2022 World Cup spelled the end for Mancini. His departure to Saudi Arabia two weeks after stepping down from the Azzurri brought a messy end to a partnership that had brought all of a record 37-game unbeaten run, a famous night at Wembley and spectacular failure following the shock World Cup play-off defeat to North Macedonia.

In a time of crisis, Italy turned to Luciano Spalletti, the calculated mastermind of Napoli’s first Serie A title in 33 years. Napoli has been the story of Europe in the previous season: their football was as wildly thrilling as the intensity of the emotional release when Naples celebrated. By the end, Spalletti was done. The 65-year-old left Napoli within weeks of winning the title.

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Exhausted, Spalletti returned to his farm in Tuscany with plans of a year-long sabbatical. Surrounded by vineyards, olive trees and rolling hills, it promised to be an idyllic retreat from the chaos of the game. But within three months he was back. Mancini had left Italy high and dry and Spalletti accepted the offer of one last job that represented his biggest yet – the culmination of a 20-year coaching career.

It was immediately clear it would be among the toughest. One of Mancini’s final acts as Italy manager was to highlight the “serious problem” facing future squads, bemoaning the lack of Italian talent coming through Serie A. Spalletti, meanwhile, had to move on from the veterans: Italy’s failure to qualify hastened the end of Bonucci and Chielini’s international careers. Marco Verratti and Ciro Immobile did not make the cut for the Euros.

But Spalletti’s previous work suggests leading the start of a new era with the Azzurri could suit him. Spalletti offers freedom to his players under a fluid structure that, at Napoli, allowed unearthed gems to flourish. The midfielder Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, twice relegated with Fulham, became a key cog in one of the best sides in Europe, while Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia exploded into one of the world’s greatest.

Napoli’s struggles since Spalletti’s departure have perhaps enhanced his reputation, but will his impact translate in international football? One of the reasons Italy have hardly been mentioned ahead of the Euros is their form. It’s almost been two years since Italy beat one of the world’s top sides, against England in the Nations League, but Gareth Southgate’s side then beat them twice in qualifying. Italy only narrowly edged past Ukraine to reach Euro 2024 automatically.

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In Group B, Italy will look at games against Spain and Croatia and recognise they are in a fight to make it through, especially if they fail to beat Albania in their opening game in Dortmund on Saturday night. There may be an inauspicious feel surrounding the start of the defence of the European Championship, when the eyes of the tournament will be searching elsewhere for a favourite: looking towards France, England, Germany and Portugal.

But then no one was expecting Italy three years ago, either. The Azzurri hit the ground running and gathered momentum from there, the performances of Manuel Locatelli, Leonardo Spinazzola and Domenico Berardi proving there was more to Mancici’s side than it initially seemed. Arriving at the tournament without the weight of expectation may have helped as well.

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Now, only a handful remain from Euro 2020. Donnarumma, right back Giovanni Di Lorenzo, midfielders Jorginho and Nicolo Barella and injury-hit forward Federico Chiesa are the few who are left from their starting spine. There will be chances for Alessandro Bastoni to become Italy’s new defensive leader, and Federico Dimarco to bring his threat from left wing-back. Both have recently excelled for Inter.

The most intriguing opportunity, however, is for whoever can emerge as Spalletti’s starting striker. The top scorer in Spalletti’s squad is Barella with nine: of his options, Napoli’s Giacomo Raspadori has six, Genoa’s Mateo Retegui four and Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca a solitary Wembley tap-in. It may be the former West Ham flop Scamacca, fresh off an impressive second half of the season with Atalanta, who is handed the responsibility.

That in itself may say all you need to know about this version of Italy. It could yet be the latest success of Spalletti’s. Either way, Euro 2024 does not expect much from its defending champions. Italy, though, may not mind at all.