Page 60 - Soccer360 Issue 105

“I AM PROUD TO BE ITALIAN BECAUSE I
WAS BORN IN ITALY, I GREW UP IN ITALY,
I WENT TO SCHOOL
IN ITALY AND I HAVE
WORKED IN ITALY.
I’M ITALIAN.”
ABOVE:
Mario Balotelli kicked off Italy’s “New Era” and began as a solid striker for the county’s squad
BELOW:
Gianluigi Donnarumma proved to be a great addition between the woodwork
AZZURRI FLASHBACK CONTINUED
not without merit, as they were knocked out by France in the round of 16. This uninspiring showing led to a renewed interest in young talent, and players such as Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio, and Gianluca Vialli were all introduced to the national team within the next two years. This new squad made its debut at the Euro 1988, where they were drawn into a tough group containing West Germany, Spain, and Denmark. Italy proceeded to hold its own, drawing 1-1 with West Germany and winning the remaining two games. These results saw them advance to the semi- finals, but the experienced Soviet Union squad was too tough to overcome. In a closely contested match, Italy lost 0-2.
BAGGIO’S REIGN
In 1990, Italy got to host its second World Cup. Contrary to expectations, the biggest star of this Italian team ended up being Salvatore Schillaci. Despite being used
as a substitute at first, Schillaci went on
to score a goal in 6 out of 7 games he played, for which he was voted player of the tournament. Italy made it to the semi- finals, where they were knocked out by Argentina in a penalty shootout. They then beat England 2-1 in the third-place match. Despite missing out on the Euro 1992, most pundits held Italy in high regard prior to the 1994 World Cup. By this
point, Roberto Baggio fully came into
his own as one of the best players
in the world, and many felt that this
would be his tournament. However, Italy underperformed in the group stage, losing the opener against Ireland and barely making it to the knockout round. Baggio himself was unrecognizable, and most of the public blame was directed at him.
In a twist of events, though, Baggio and
Italy rediscovered their form in the knockout stages. They went on to beat Nigeria,
Spain, and Bulgaria on the way to the finals, with Baggio scoring five goals during that stretch. He also picked up a hamstring injury, however, which caused him to play with painkillers in the final match against Brazil. The game eventually went to penalties, with Baggio missing the decisive penalty and gifting Brazil the title.
UPS AND DOWNS
By comparison, the following two major tournaments were disappointing affairs for Italy. At the Euro 1996, they didn’t manage to advance from a group that contained eventual finalists Germany and the Czech Republic. The 1998 World Cup saw them make the quarter-finals, but they lost to France in a penalty shootout. Similarly to the previous showing, their opponents went on to win the tournament.
The Euro 2000 saw Italy bring a strong squad that included rising star Francesco Totti and established big names such as Alessandro Del Piero and Filippo “Pippo” Inzaghi. After recording all three victories in their group, they beat Romania and the
Netherlands on their way to a rematch with France in the finals. Despite Italy holding
a 1-0 lead for most of the second half, France equalized in injury time
and won on a golden goal from Trezeguet. This heartbreaking loss turned out to be a tough pill to
swallow for the Azzurri, as they went straight back to mediocrity. The 2002 World Cup saw them get knocked out by hosts South Korea in the round of 16, despite being overwhelming favorites to win. At
the Euro 2004, they didn’t advance from the group despite accruing 5 points from 3 games. In a 3-way tie to advance, Sweden
and Denmark went through on goal difference.
RETURN TO GLORY
Following this slump, the Italian Football Federation appointed Marcello Lippi as the new manager. His debut game in charge against Iceland ended in a shocking 0-2 loss, but he still managed to secure a
spot at the 2006 World Cup. By the time the group stages rolled around, Italy was performing like a well-oiled machine. With two victories over Ghana and the Czech Republic and a draw against the United States, they had little trouble advancing from the group.
The knockout stages saw Italy continue to perform well, especially on the defensive end. They defeated Australia, Ukraine, and Germany without conceding a goal, setting up another final match game
with France. This time around, the finals were shrouded in controversy. The game ended 1-1 and went to penalties, but not before Zinedine Zidane was sent off for headbutting Marco Materazzi. Italy won the penalty shootout, claiming its 4th World Cup title.
NEW ERA
Following this achievement, Italy started struggling to return to its winning ways. They went out in the first round at both the 2010 and 2014 World Cup and missed out on the 2018 World Cup altogether. Their appearances at the European Championships were a bit more inspiring, though. Both the 2008 and the 2014 edition of the Euro saw the Azzurri make the quarter-finals, but they were knocked out on penalties on both occasions.
Their most successful showing during this period arrived at the Euro 2012.
After escaping a tough group containing Spain and Croatia, Italy defeated England on penalties. They followed it up by beating Germany 2-0 in the semi-finals, with Mario Balotelli scoring both goals. The final match against Spain was quite anticlimactic, though, as their opponents took an early lead and controlled the game on the way to a 4-0 rout.
In 2021, Italy would triumph by winning the European Championship for the second time. England stood as opponents and
the result was 1-1 after full time and no goals were made during the extra time.
In the following penalty shoot-out, Italy succeed three out of five times whereas the goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made two saves (a third England penalty was going in the post).
In contrast with the European Championship success, the Italians failed to qualify for the World Cup two times in a row (2018, 2022), a big failure for
a country that had participated in all editions of the tournament since the 1960s.
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