PREVIEW: After a rollercoaster three years, can Italy defend their crown at EURO2024?

Which version of Italy will show up to the EUROs? That’s the real question that their opponents – and fans – want the answer to.

It’s intriguing to be heading into the EUROs with the reigning champions seen by most as outside the top favourites for the title, but such is life when Italy are at play. Nobody in England will need reminding of their triumph at the postponed EURO2020 at Wembley, when a penalty shootout continued more than 50 years of heartbreak for the hosts and Leonardo Bonucci yelled into the cameras “It’s coming to Rome!”.

But just a year later, the Azzurri failed to follow their European success and couldn’t qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After a couple of years to lick their wounds away from the spotlight of a major tournament, a new-look Italy team are back – but to hold onto their title, they’ll first have to overcome the toughest group in the tournament. 

Nobody doubts the Italians’ historical pedigree on the world stage; they boast four World Cups and two European Championships, which isn’t a bad trophy cabinet. They’ve been a mainstay of European football for some time, producing not only on-field icons like Paolo Maldini and Gianluigi Buffon, but also notable managerial minds like Antonio Conte and Roberto Mancini.

Italy are ever-present in the EUROs universe: they reached the final (which they lost to Spain) in 2012, were nail-bitingly eliminated by Germany in a thrilling penalty shootout in 2016, and of course took home the trophy in 2021. However, the years since their triumph at Wembley have seen several greats retire and a World Cup qualifying campaign that went beyond disappointing and into dismal, and nobody is yet sure which version of Italy will show up in Germany. 

The changing of the guard is best marked by the departure of Roberto Mancini as manager – the former Manchester City and Inter Milan manager had led Italy through the historic campaign that saw them become one of the only teams to ever boast a perfect record in qualification for the Euros, the only one to win every group stage match without conceding, and then of course go on to win the entire thing.

You’d be forgiven for thinking it was his departure that created the cracks in the Azzurri, but in fact the real downfall came under him. Italy ended a three-year unbeaten run when they lost to Spain in the Nations League semi-final in 2021, but this was of relatively little concern at the time – after all, a 2-1 defeat to one of the most successful teams in world football is irritating, but not inexcusable.

The inexcusable was what followed: 2022 saw a draw with Northern Ireland which forced them into the play-offs for a place at the World Cup. They then promptly, in probably one of the biggest footballing upsets of the year, lost to North Macedonia, who were ranked 65th in the world at the time and then swiftly knocked out themselves.

After the 2023 Nations League, where they again placed third, Mancini resigned from the role and was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, who came with no international managerial experience but an impressive club CV. Spalletti led Empoli to consecutive promotions in the 90s, Udinese to Champions League football (far surpassing expectations) in 2005, and most recently coached Napoli to the Champions League quarter-finals and their first Serie A title since the Maradona days.

His impressive managerial career has spanned more than 20 years and while this might be Spalletti’s first major international tournament, he arrives as a respected tactician and has seen his fair share of high-pressure environments.

Since taking over, the Tuscan has not had the same eye-catching roster that won the trophy three years ago. Three of the back four that started that final will not be in Germany; neither will Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne, or Marco Verratti. There are still plenty of big names from those who remain – captain Gianluigi Donnarumma is likely to stay between the sticks, Arsenal’s Jorginho remains in the midfield, and Federico Chiesa remains a threat in front of goal (providing two of Italy’s five in their revenge win over North Macedonia in qualifying for this tournament).

But there are plenty of newer faces coming into the fray – Davide Frattesi has broken into the squad and impressed in qualifying, scoring three goals including a double against Ukraine (which, as it turned out, made the difference between automatic qualification and a playoff spot). Mateo Retegui is another youngster who arrived with a bang, scoring goals against England and Malta in his first two competitive matches for the Azzurri. There is exciting young talent in this Italy side, and there are still a fair few experienced heads in the mix – not least Donnarumma, the only goalkeeper ever to be named as the EUROs Player of the Tournament.

This new-look Italy side ultimately did the job in qualifying, but they will have been disappointed to finish behind England in Group C. Results that will have raised eyebrows include two losses to England and draws with North Macedonia (yep, those pesky guys again) and Ukraine – but they also recorded a 5-2 victory over North Macedonia (that’ll teach them!) and a 4-0 win over Malta. They had 11 different goalscorers, another promising sign of attacking talent, and have been undefeated in their warm-up games.

It’s not on the same level as their world-record unbeaten run of a few years ago, but they are playing some decent football. If one was looking to criticise, it’s a fair point that those warm-up games have been a 2-1 and 2-0 win over Venezuela and Ecuador, then a 0-0 draw with Turkey. These aren’t the goalscoring heights you might expect from the reigning champions – but maybe they’ll let the handbrake off when they land in Germany.

They will certainly have to be on form at both ends of the pitch if they’re to even make it out of the group. Italy are unlucky enough to have been drawn into the obligatory ‘Group of Death’ and, although you would bet on them to finish top or second, they can’t afford to be complacent. Croatia and Albania are perfectly capable sides, but Italy should be able to get the better of them; it’s Spain who will be the real test.

Luis de la Fuente’s side, while not at the heady heights of the team that took home three consecutive major trophies a decade ago, are on a mission to end their trophy drought and Italy haven’t beaten la Roja since knocking them out of EURO2016.That mouthwatering clash, which will be one of the most highly anticipated of the group stages, is live from Gelsenkirchen on ITV on 20th June, kicking off at 8pm. FromTheSpot will be covering it in detail.

Before that, they’re lucky to be eased back onto the international stage when they open their campaign in Dortmund against Albania on the 15th – while they’re not a side to be written off totally, it would certainly be an upset if Sylvinho’s crack team (only at their second major international tournament) were to take points off the holders. That game is on the BBC at 8pm, as is their final group match against Croatia on the 24th in Leipzig.

To make it out of the ‘Group of Death’, Italy’s young attacking talents will need to prove that they can live up to the history of that blue shirt – and their defence can’t afford to switch off when they will be meeting the likes of Luca Modrić and Joselu. This will be the first Italy team we’ve seen at a major tournament that hasn’t had the stoic partnership of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini protecting their goal, so Donnarumma’s presence in net could yet prove vital.

Spectators could be in for a real treat in watching this new-look Italian attack. Premier League fans will be perfectly familiar with Destiny Udogie, and Liverpool supporters will also know the name Gianluca Scamacca (though they might wish they didn’t). It will be a first major international tournament for both, who have performed well at club level this season. They’re among several players who will be stepping up to this kind of stage for the first time – Retegui, 25, and Frattesi, 24, showcased their finishing abilities in qualifying.

If there’s an upside to Italy’s failure to qualify for the World Cup, it’s that this forward line, with the exception of Federico Chiesa (who featured in 2021’s winning team) is likely to be a fairly unknown quantity to opponents as they won’t have met them anywhere near as frequently – creating the potential for some exciting match-ups.

Though they were a bit of a laughing stock two years ago (or maybe that was just in England), Italy are not to be overlooked at this tournament. They are not the same side that took home the trophy three years ago – but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are worse. Spalletti is a manager with the capability to win, and has at his disposal a nice mix of experienced players and those who will be itching to make a name for themselves on the world stage.

Spain in particular are a difficult opponent, but this reinvented side will relish the prospect of proving their doubters wrong – and there would be no better way to do so than start the tournament by escaping the ‘Group of Death’.