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Euro 2020: Beware the march of Mancini’s Italy

In their three Euro games so far, Italy have used 25 of their 26 players in the squad

Roberto Mancini Reuters Roberto Mancini | Reuters

The numbers around Italian football at the moment are staggering. The national team has now gone 30 games unbeaten after beating Wales in their final group match of Euro 2020. They have gone 1,000-plus minutes without conceding a goal. The team is scoring 2.4 goals per game under head coach Roberto Mancini. (This is in keeping with the Italian league outscoring [1.53] the Premier League [1.35] and La Liga [1.25] on average goals per game in the 2020-21 season.) And, in their three Euro games so far, Italy have used 25 of their 26 players in the squad.

Now, the significance of these numbers.

The side has equalled the national team’s best unbeaten record, set under legendary manager Vittorio Pozzo between 1935-39. The difference between then and now is that Italy won the 1934 and 1938 World Cups with some of the best players in the world, while the current team was the first to not qualify for a World Cup in 60 years and cannot boast of a single player who would make it to a World XI.

Not making it to Russia 2018 was shocking, and the Italians took it personally, as the popular Michael Jordan meme goes. In May 2018, Mancini took charge of the national team, a move that surprised many, given that the manager had not accomplished anything of significance since the famous title victory with Manchester City in 2012. But Mancini was a different man.

For one, he is no longer the hot-headed, headline-grabbing man of his playing days and of his time as coach of Inter Milan and Manchester City, where he had public spats with his own players. He is a calm presence in the team now—he has attributed this change of heart to growing old—and is actively building relationships with his players. His move to give 25 players at least a few minutes in just three games not just reflects the depth of the squad, but also is a move to instil confidence in the collective.

The Italians are a passionate bunch—one only needs to watch them loudly belt out the national anthem ahead of their games. National pride runs deep and Mancini knows this too well. He understands the pain of not getting to play at a major tournament. In 1990, at the World Cup in his own country, Mancini did not get a single minute on the pitch. He would never play at a World Cup. Which is probably why he substituted even goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma in the last few minutes against Wales to give veteran Salvatore Sirigu a few precious minutes on the pitch.

Besides looking dapper and displaying decent ball control on the touchline, Mancini is no longer the ‘defence-first’ manager. He has ditched Catenaccio, the famous Italian method of putting bodies behind the ball to protect their goal at all costs. The defensive style of play is synonymous with Italy and has for decades run deep in its football leagues. But the fact that Italian clubs are outscoring their English and Spanish counterparts tells us that there seems to be a systemic change to adapt to the demands of modern-day football. (Take note, Jose Mourinho.)

The Italians are attacking in swarms now, playing a high defensive line in attack and encouraging switch of play between their rampaging full-backs, be it Giovanni di Lorenzo, Leonardo Spinazzola, Alessandro Florenzi or Emerson Palmieri. The team is averaging 61 per cent possession, with Jorginho as the fulcrum in midfield. Also, for the first time in the history of the Euros, Italy scored three goals in a single game. Twice, against Turkey and Switzerland. There was a sense of frustration on Andrea Belotti’s face at the end of the game against Wales, as he came close to scoring on several occasions. They weren’t satisfied with just the win.

Mancini’s attention to detail in set pieces is also worth noting. The solitary goal against Wales was a result of a well-drilled training ground routine of finding the right player in the box. In the second half, Federico Bernardeschi’s free-kick hit the post too, but what was notable was the way his teammates arranged themselves to confuse the Welsh goalkeeper. The corner kicks were meticulously planned too, as they came close to scoring off a Marco Verratti corner.

The duo of Giorgio Chiellini (36) and Leonardo Bonucci (34) are still resolutely guarding their goal in a back three. Despite their advanced years, they are not only adapting to the new style of play but also ensuring that Italy remain a defensive fortress. No Catenaccio, but that does not mean opposition attackers are given an easy pass to scoring against them. It is something that teams like England and France can learn from, given their attacking talent. Eleven straight clean sheets for Donnarumma and his men, in a relatively new setup, is no mean feat.

The Italians are marching into the knockout rounds as one of the favourites to win the tournament but their achievements thus far come with a caveat. They played only three top-20 ranked teams in their qualifying phase. Wales (18) and Switzerland (16) are no pushovers, but they aren’t title contenders either. And, Gareth Bale came tantalisingly close to breaking Italy’s 1,000-minute streak when he hoofed a shot over the bar, unchallenged from barely a few metres away from the goal.

Italy are likely to face Ukraine or Austria in the round of 16, and should they advance, they are on course to set up a potential clash with world number-one Belgium in the quarterfinals. Tactics in place, Mancini and his men will need to sum up all the national pride they have to bring home a second continental trophy.

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