Euro 2020 Profile: Italy

Italian coach Roberto Mancini takes training on the eve of the Euro 2020 kick off

Italian coach Roberto Mancini takes training on the eve of the Euro 2020 kick off Credit: Extratime Team (ETPhotos)

Team: Italy

Manager: Roberto Mancini

Group: A

Other Teams in Group: Turkey, Wales, Switzerland

THE SQUAD

The Azzurri manager Roberto Mancini has opted for a mixture of youth and experience as he aims to help Italy conquer Europe for only the second time in their history. 

In Gianluigi Donnarumma, Mancini has a goalkeeper whom he can trust between the sticks and who has amassed a lot of experience even at the tender age of 22. He is ably assisted by Alex Meret who had an impressive campaign for his club Napoli and the veteran Salvatore Sirigu.

It is a testament to their consistency that both Juventus stalwarts Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini find themselves at yet another major tournament. With a combined age of 74, they will be relied upon to bring steel and calm at the back and have a positive influence on the younger generation such as Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni. 

Among the other defenders selected only Alessandro Florenzi has more than 15 caps so it is a relatively inexperienced group who will lean heavily on Bonucci and Chiellini for leadership. Rafael Toloi is rewarded for his fine displays for Atalanta in Serie A with his inclusion in the squad.

Mancini has selected a very talented albeit inexperienced bunch of midfielders from the exciting Nicolo Barella who was instrumental in helping Inter Milan to win their first Serie A title since 2010 along with his teammate Stefano Sensi, Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini who impressed in this seasons Europa League and Manuel Locatelli, one of three Sassuolo players included in the squad. 



Marco Verratti is the most experienced midfielder and will be seen as the player to keep the side ticking as well as the ever reliable Jorghino who will be primed and ready for any spot-kicks awarded to the Azzurri during the tournament.

As an attacking force Italy will be heavily dependent on Torino’s Andrea Belotti who was their top scorer in qualification with five goals and he will be assisted by the experienced duo of Lazio’s Ciro Immobile and Napoli’s Lorenzo Insigne.

Mancini also has the option of Juventus pair Federico Chiesa and Federico Bernardeschi to call on but all eyes will be on the Sassuolo strikers Dominco Berardi and the uncapped Giacomo Raspadori who had very good seasons and offer Mancini a different dimension in attack.   

The squad in full: 

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma (Milan), Alex Meret (Napoli), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino)

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi (Lazio), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter Milan), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Alessandro Florenzi (PSG), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), Rafael Toloi (Atalanta)



Midfielders: Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Bryan Christante (Roma), Jorghino (Chelsea), Manuel Locatelli (Sassuolo), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Roma), Stefano Sensi (Inter Milan), Marco Verratti (PSG)

Forwards: Andrea Belotti (Torino), Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo), Federico Bernardeschi (Juventus), Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Ciro Immobile (Lazio), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli), Giacomo Raspadori (Sassuolo)

HOW THEY GOT THERE

Italy went into their qualification campaign in Group J as the red hot favourites to top the group with Greece, Finland and Bosnia and Herzegovina expected to battle it out for the second place.

The Azzurri made the perfect start in their first home match of the campaign with a comfortable 2-0 win over Finland in Udine in March 2019 with an early goal from Nicolo Barella and Moise Kean wrapped up the points with a goal 15 minutes from the end.

They followed that up with an emphatic 6-0 demolition of Liechtenstein a few days later. The Azzurri were 4-0 up at break thanks to goals from Stefano Sensi, Marco Verratti and a brace of penalties from Fabio Quagliarella. Moise Kean and Leandro Pavoletti added further gloss to the scoreline in the second period.

Italy made it three wins and three clean sheets from three with an impressive 3-0 win over Greece in Athens in June. Three goals in 10 first half minutes culminated in a Greek tragedy with Nicolo Barella, Lorenzo Insigne and Leonardo Bonucci all finding the net.

The first stern test for Mancini’s side came in their fourth outing against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Turin when Roma’s Edin Dzeko stunned the home crowd with a goal just after the half hour.

It remained that way until the second half when Italy came out all guns blazing and Lorenzo Insigne equalised four minutes after the interval and a late Marco Verratti goal gave them a 2-1 win and sighs of relief from the home fans.

The result left Italy top of Group J with a 100% record after four matches. In September in their next outing they found themselves behind again to Armenia after only 11 minutes in Yerevan but Andrea Belotti drew them level in the 28th minute.

Armenia frustrated their illustrious opponents in the second half until the final quarter of an hour when Lorenzo Pellegrini put them in front and an own goal from Airapetyan sealed the win for Italy.

Next up was a hard fought 2-1 win over plucky Finland in Tampere. Ciro Immobile gave them the lead just before the hour only for Teemu Pukki to equalise for the Eagle Owls from the spot only for Jorghino to reply in kind and grab what proved to be the winner in the 79th minute. The next three matches were much more comfortable with three more clean sheets with wins over Greece (2-0), Liechtenstein (0-5) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (0-3) to book their passage to EURO 2020.

The Azzurri ended the campaign on a high with a 9-1 thrashing of Armenia in Palermo in November 2019 to end the qualification Group J with 10 wins from 10 and catapult themselves to be considered one of the favourites to lift the famous trophy on 11thJuly at Wembley.

KEY PLAYERS TO WATCH

Italy kept six clean sheets in their ten qualification matches and 22 year old goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma will be critical to the Azzurri’s chances of maintaining that impressive statistic along with the veteran defenders and Juventus duo Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.

Marco Verratti will also be an integral part of the team and his leadership and ability to link defence with attack will be pivotal to Italy’s chances. Nicolo Barella was impressive for both club and country this season and is an exciting prospect who could prove to be a match winner on his day.

Andrea Belotti, Lorenzo Insigne and Ciro Immobile will be tasked with the objection of getting the goals for Mancini but he does have some exciting options in reserve such as the Sassuolo pair of Domenica Berardi and Giacomo Raspadori.

Juventus striker Federico Chiesa is another player that has the potential to explode into life in this tournament if given the opportunity.

WHERE ARE THEY PLAYING

Stadio Olympico, Rome: June 11 v Turkey, KO 20:00

Stadio Olympico, Rome: June 16 v Switzerland, KO 20:00

Stadio Olympico, Rome: June 20 v Wales, KO 20:00

THREE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE TEAM

Italy’s 9-1 trouncing of Armenia In their final qualifying match was 11th consecutive victory which is a national record and one more goal would have seen them eclipse their biggest ever win which was a 9-0 humiliation of the USA in 1948.

The Azzurri’s only win in the competition came back in 1968 on home soil with 2-0 win over Yugoslavia in a replayed final in Rome on 10th June after the sides had drawn 1-1 after extra-time two days earlier.

Italy were knocked out by Germany in the quarter-finals of EURO 2016 6-5 on penalties after the game had ended in a 1-1 draw.

RECENT FORM

Lithuania 0-2 Italy

Italy 7-0 San Marino

Italy 4-0 Czech Republic

First game: June 11 v Turkey, KO 20:00   

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