Italy is a powerhouse in European football and has been for a very long time now. The nation is home to one of Europe’s top five leagues in form of the Serie A. The league, over the years, has created the highest quality footballers that have helped the nation to a number of trophies in world football. Italy is one of the most successful nations when it comes to the world cup. They are joint second with Germany with four world cup trophies, second only to Brazil who have five. A proud World Cup history would usually mean that the nation has done well in continental tournaments as well, but that is not the case here. Italy has never won only a single Euro Cup in their history.
The Italian football team has been nicknamed Azzurri, which literally translates to The Blues. This is because they have always worn a blue home jersey when they play. The style of play that can be most associated with an Italian team would be defensive, counter-attacking football. Italian sides over the years have never been known for playing flashy, attacking football.
The kind the likes of Spain and Brazil pride themselves on. They are essentially a side with unparalleled defensive prowess and they usually excel at defending slender leads and hitting teams on the break, rather than displaying an attacking masterclass.
Italy has never been a side that has dominated European competitions. Despite their rich history in the world cup, they have only managed to win a European Cup only once and it has been a very long time since then. Their first and only glory came back in 1968 and that too is disputable. The Azzurri had not beaten the Soviet Union in the semi-final of the competition, and after extra time, they went through to the final via a coin toss.
The final turned out to be a two-match affair against Yugoslavia. The first match was tied 1-1 and Italy won the replay 2-0, handing them the title. It was also the first time the Azzurri had qualified for the tournament. Despite winning the cup only once, they had qualified for the final on two other occasions. The first of them was in 2000 when they faced the then world champions France in the final of the competition. The match was a tight affair but France picked up the win in added time. A 90th-minute equalizer from Wiltord and a 103rd-minute winner from Trerzeguet saw Les Blues take the crown.
It was an extremely painful loss for the Azzurri. The second final was in 2012 against then world champions once again, Spain. This match was a no-contest as the Spaniards trounced the Italians 4-0 in 90 minutes.
After the embarrassment of not being able to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Azzurri will have redemption on their mind. The squad has a new look with many young players getting in but it still retains some of the veterans. Manager Roberto Mancini has the Azzurri playing a but more attacking football, as is evident from their recent 4-0 thrashing of the Czech Republic. They have a solid center-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci who have been playing together for country and club (Juventus) for several years now, and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni who has been in fine form this season. They also have pacey wing-backs like Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint Germain), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), and Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli).
Their midfield also has a solid look about it, with the likes of Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), who was named the Serie A player of the year, and Jorginho (Chelsea) who can be a solid defensive midfield option. Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini and Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli are also key attacking options. However, all eyes will be on the crafty Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain). Should there be someone in the Italian that can open the toughest of defensive setups, it is Verratti.
The Azurri’s attacking options are limited and it might haunt them in the tournament. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) is the best attacking player they have got and he is certain to make a tremendous impact from the left side. However, the striker options of Ciro Immobile (Lazio) and Andrea Belotti (Torino) might be a bit weak, as they have not really performed to the best of their qualities for the national side as of yet.
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Italy is a powerhouse in European football and has been for a very long time now. The nation is home to one of Europe’s top five leagues in form of the Serie A. The league, over the years, has created the highest quality footballers that have helped the nation to a number of trophies in world football. Italy is one of the most successful nations when it comes to the world cup. They are joint second with Germany with four world cup trophies, second only to Brazil who have five. A proud World Cup history would usually mean that the nation has done well in continental tournaments as well, but that is not the case here. Italy has never won only a single Euro Cup in their history.
The Italian football team has been nicknamed Azzurri, which literally translates to The Blues. This is because they have always worn a blue home jersey when they play. The style of play that can be most associated with an Italian team would be defensive, counter-attacking football. Italian sides over the years have never been known for playing flashy, attacking football.
The kind the likes of Spain and Brazil pride themselves on. They are essentially a side with unparalleled defensive prowess and they usually excel at defending slender leads and hitting teams on the break, rather than displaying an attacking masterclass.
Italy has never been a side that has dominated European competitions. Despite their rich history in the world cup, they have only managed to win a European Cup only once and it has been a very long time since then. Their first and only glory came back in 1968 and that too is disputable. The Azzurri had not beaten the Soviet Union in the semi-final of the competition, and after extra time, they went through to the final via a coin toss.
The final turned out to be a two-match affair against Yugoslavia. The first match was tied 1-1 and Italy won the replay 2-0, handing them the title. It was also the first time the Azzurri had qualified for the tournament. Despite winning the cup only once, they had qualified for the final on two other occasions. The first of them was in 2000 when they faced the then world champions France in the final of the competition. The match was a tight affair but France picked up the win in added time. A 90th-minute equalizer from Wiltord and a 103rd-minute winner from Trerzeguet saw Les Blues take the crown.
It was an extremely painful loss for the Azzurri. The second final was in 2012 against then world champions once again, Spain. This match was a no-contest as the Spaniards trounced the Italians 4-0 in 90 minutes.
After the embarrassment of not being able to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, the Azzurri will have redemption on their mind. The squad has a new look with many young players getting in but it still retains some of the veterans. Manager Roberto Mancini has the Azzurri playing a but more attacking football, as is evident from their recent 4-0 thrashing of the Czech Republic. They have a solid center-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci who have been playing together for country and club (Juventus) for several years now, and Inter Milan’s Alessandro Bastoni who has been in fine form this season. They also have pacey wing-backs like Alessandro Florenzi (Paris Saint Germain), Emerson Palmieri (Chelsea), Leonardo Spinazzola (Roma), and Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli).
Their midfield also has a solid look about it, with the likes of Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), who was named the Serie A player of the year, and Jorginho (Chelsea) who can be a solid defensive midfield option. Roma’s Lorenzo Pellegrini and Sassuolo’s Manuel Locatelli are also key attacking options. However, all eyes will be on the crafty Marco Verratti (Paris Saint Germain). Should there be someone in the Italian that can open the toughest of defensive setups, it is Verratti.
The Azurri’s attacking options are limited and it might haunt them in the tournament. Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli) is the best attacking player they have got and he is certain to make a tremendous impact from the left side. However, the striker options of Ciro Immobile (Lazio) and Andrea Belotti (Torino) might be a bit weak, as they have not really performed to the best of their qualities for the national side as of yet.
