FROM APOCALYPSE TO OLIMPICO

FROM THE È VOLUTA, SOGNATA, DESIDERATA FIN QUANDO DA RAGAZZINO MI ADDORMENTAVO NEGLI SPOGLIATOI PRIMA DI ALLENARMI @LORINSIGNEOFFICIAL APOCALYPSE TO THE OLIMPICO

AS ITALY BANISHED SOME SIGNIFICANT DEMONS TO WIN EURO 2020, GABY MCKAY TAKES A LOOK AT HOW IT ALL STARTED FOR THE AZZURRI ON THEIR ROAD TO REDEMPTION

hen then FIGC President

WCarlo Tavecchio was asked in September 2017 about the prospect of Italy not qualifying for the World Cup, he replied simply: “it would be the apocalypse.” Two months later, in front of a packed San Siro, Azzurri players lay sprawled on the turf. Legendary goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon raised his hands, tears in his eyes, by way of apology to the supporters. Coach Gian Piero Ventura disappeared down the tunnel while newspapers decried a national shame. Italy had missed out for the first time in 60 years. Apocalypse now. Ventura, of course, could not survive. Despite public clamour for Carlo Ancelotti, the man chosen as the next commissario tecnico was Roberto Mancini, whose first task was to lead the Azzurri through three salt-in-the-wound summer friendlies. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow, and it turns out European champions grow from 2-1 friendly wins over Saudi Arabia with Domenico Criscito at left-back.

Italy fell back in love with it’s national team

“IT WOULD BE THE RISE TO THE OLIMPICO.”

Domenico Criscito was left-back when Mancini won his first Italian Friendly

Italy’s World Cup failure was described as a national shame

‘THE DELAY TO THE TOURNAMENT ARGUABLY HELPED MANCINI’S SIDE’

Rebuilding after the apocalypse was never going to be easy, and Mancini’s first competitive games brought just one win in four. However, the former Inter boss was quietly laying the foundations for what would be a triumphant team. His first win came away at Poland, and while it may have taken a 92nd-minute Cristiano Biraghi winner, only Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny kept it close. Mancini’s vision became apparent on that night in Chorzow. Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini formed a formidable barrier in front of Gianluigi Donnarumma, while ahead of them Jorginho, Marco Verratti and Nicola Barella kept Poland on the run. With Lorenzo Insigne on the left and Federico Chiesa on the right, this was the base upon which Mancini would build. A 0-0 draw with Portugal put paid to any hope of making the Nations League finals, but with a fairly straightforward Euro 2020 qualification group, post-apocalyptic Italy had time to build back better. A 2-0 victory over Finland to open the group was followed up by a 6-0 thrashing of Liechtenstein and a comfortable 3-0 win against Greece. Though it was just the fourth game, a clash with Bosnia and Herzegovina in Turin already had the feel of a decider. Let’s not forget though what had happened the last time the Azzurri faced such a fixture. A heroic Bonucci block stopped Bosnia from opening the scoring, before the visitors put together a stunning move that culminated in Edin Dzeko tapping home. Italy went into the break 1-0 down, and the discontent was palpable from the stands. As we’d see repeatedly though, this Italy was made differently to Ventura’s fragile outfit. Mancini’s men kept playing, kept moving the ball around, and began to dominate. Insigne equalized with a stunning volley and Verratti passed in a late winner. With 12 points from 12, qualification was basically in the bag. Italy went on to win every match in their group, signing off with a swaggering 9-1 win over Armenia in Palermo - and then the world ended for real. The Covid-19 pandemic, which hit Italy early and hard, saw the globe grind to a standstill. Euro 2020 was pushed back a year, and the national team wouldn’t be back together for almost 10 months. However, it can be argued that the delay and a condensed calendar helped Mancini’s side. They soon found their groove again, winning their Nations League group to advance to the finals, which will be held in Italy later this year. The likes of Chiesa and Manuel Locatelli enjoyed breakthrough seasons in 2020-21, coming into the rescheduled tournament in the form of their lives. With their first three Euro 2020 matches to be played in Rome, there was excitement around Italy once again. Publicly, Mancini and his players talked down expectations, speaking of reaching the quarter-finals. Privately, the Azzurri felt getting to the final four in London was realistic. Outside of the Bel Paese, the Azzurri’s chances weren’t rated as highly. The absence of a big name like Alessandro Del Piero or Francesco Totti had those who don’t watch much Serie A claiming it wasn’t a vintage Italy team. Bookmakers were offering odds as long as 9/1 on Mancini’s men. Finally, a year late, on a warm June night in Rome it was time to go. Andrea Bocelli serenaded the Stadio Olimpico with Nessun Dorma. A tiny car took the ball on to the pitch. A nation belted out the anthem. The journey that began with the apocalypse began in earnest.