SERIE A STRENGTH

SERIE A TRIUMPH

AFTER UPSETTING THE ODDS TO WIN EURO 2020, CIRO DI BRITA TAKES A LOOK AT HOW ITALY’S TRIUMPH WAS MADE IN THE PROVINCES AND ALL POINTS AROUND THE PENINSULA

oberto Mancini has broken

Rthe long-running trend of Italian national team coaches predominately choosing players from the three northern super clubs Milan, Inter and Juventus. When it came to selecting his Euro 2020 squad, Mancini cast his net wide and brought in players from 10 Serie A teams, as well as Champions League winners Chelsea and French giants Paris Saint-Germain. So, just how was the European Championship-winning side formed by the clubs outside the big three and the strength of Italian players plying their trade around Serie A? In 2012, Pescara were crowned Serie B champions. Coached by the legendary chain-smoking Czech Zdenek Zeman, they featured a trio of players instrumental in Italy’s Euro win - Lorenzo Insigne, Ciro Immobile and Marco Verratti - while playing an attacking 4-3-3 formation. Despite Verratti joining PSG before ever playing a single game in Serie A, and the other two returning to their parent clubs the following summer, the chemistry built up on and off the field during those days in Abruzzo has stood the test of time, and this friendship was clear to see during Euro 2020. Mancini’s Italy benefited from this camaraderie. The rapport built up in the weeks prior to the opening game was infectious, spreading even to the usually serious Juventus duo of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. The pair became jovial in their old age, even joining the rest of the squad in singing the comedic Neapolitan song ‘Ma Quale Dieta’, which suddenly became the team’s unofficial anthem. The idea of Il Gruppo that Mancini formed was key to Italy winning the Euros. Without a standout player like a Roberto Baggio, Francesco Totti or Andrea Pirlo, it was vital that they focused on unity, confidence, tactics and determination, rather than individual quality. Before the tournament, the ability of some players might have been ignored, seeing as there weren’t many household names among the squad. However, nobody could now say that Italy lack talent or quality.

Italy are crowned champions of Europe after beating England on penalties in the final at Wembley

Maurizio Sarri’s philosophy has had an effect on the style of football now being played by Italy’s national team

‘THE RICHES ARE SPREAD OUT ACROSS SERIE A’

SIZE DOESN’T MATTER

AS ROBERTO MANCINI CHANGES TACK TO SELECT HIS ITALY PLAYERS FROM AROUND SERIE A RATHER THAN MAINLY FROM THE BIG GUNS, CIRO DI BRITA PICKS OUT FIVE ITALIAN PLAYERS WHO CAUGHT THE EYE AT EURO 2020 WHILE PLAYING FOR SMALLER CLUBS

MANUEL LOCATELLI -

Sassuolo, midfield, 23 Locatelli made his debut for Milan at the age of 18 in 2016, coming on as a substitute against Carpi. He made the headlines later that year when scoring the winning goal in a 1-0 victory over champions Juventus and truly blossomed at Euro 2020.

MATTEO PESSINA -

Atalanta, midfield, 24 Another former Milan youth team player, Pessina never made an appearance for the Rossoneri, instead joining Atalanta in 2017. After loan spells with Spezia and Hellas Verona, he finally broke into the Nerazzurri’s first team this season and impressed with two goals for Italy at the Euros.

DOMENICO BERARDI -

Sassuolo, forward, 26 Sassuolo captain Berardi had long been tipped for a place in the Italian national team, but was overlooked for one reason or another. The Calabrian scored all four goals in a 4-3 win over Milan in 2014 while still a teenager and looks to have now finally fulfilled his potential.

‘GIORGIO CHIELLINI AND LEONARDO BONUCCI BECAME JOVIAL IN THEIR OLD AGE’

RAFAEL TOLOI -

Atalanta, defender, 30 After first heading to Europe on loan at Roma, Brazil-born defender Toloi joined Atalanta in 2015 and only acquired Italian citizenship in February after meeting the five-year residency requirement. The 30-year-old’s great-grandparents were from Treviso in Veneto, making him eligible for the Azzurri.

ANDREA BELOTTI -

Torino, forward, 27 Torino captain Belotti has 12 goals in 39 appearances for the Azzurri. Il Gallo was Torino’s main goal threat last season despite their poor form, but perhaps it’s time the striker made the move to a bigger club to regain his goalscoring touch and fulfill his potential.

Andrea Belotti in action for his club, Torino Gianluigi Donnarumma won Player of the Tournament, while Leonardo Spinazzola was named in the UEFA Team of the Tournament alongside Bonucci, Federico Chiesa and Jorginho, despite missing the semi-final and final through injury. These players should now all be reasonably mentioned whenever any football fans are discussing the merits of the finest purveyors of the game. Italian football experienced the first effects of a cultural shock to the system when Maurizio Sarri’s Empoli were promoted to the top flight in 2014. The Tuscan outfit proved that season to be one of the best-coached sides in the league, while playing an attractive brand of football. That style caught the eye of Napoli owner Aurelio De

Laurentiis, who replaced Rafa Benitez with Sarri at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona – then the San Paolo – after the Spaniard’s pragmatic approach of play saw his team fail to qualify for the Champions League. It took Sarri a few weeks to work out the kinks in his side, but for the next three years the Azzurri became one of the most exciting teams in Europe. After abandoning a 4-3-1-2 formation for a 4-3-3 early on, the Partenopei began to take shape as a team that pressed high up the field, while playing the ball out from the back with quick one-touch football. Insigne operated on the left of attack, with Jorginho dictating the play from the middle of the park. Sarri’s team never took their foot off the gas, were never happy with just scoring once, and always took the game to the opposition. These are similar traits to Mancini’s Italy. The main difference between the two, however, is Mancini’s side are capable of winning ugly, soaking up pressure, seeing games out and, of course, lifting a trophy. The progression of Sarri-ball in Serie A gave birth to Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta side, which has been so impressive over the past few years. The Nerazzurri have taken the concept of the high press to another level with every player working hard to win the ball back and get forward. La Dea do not just have a front three, at times the centre-backs can find themselves inside the opposition box after a lung-busting run. This high-energy, swashbuckling, attacking philosophy is a far cry from the dull, slow, unimaginative brand of football that Serie A was accused of having in the early 2010s. Matteo Pessina embodies Gasperini’s style. Tireless, tough and technical, the young Atalanta midfielder chipped in with two

GIAN PIERO GASPERINI’S HIGH-OCTANE FOOTBALL HAS BEEN AN INSPIRATION FOR ITALY

vital goals against Wales and Austria during the European Championship. Despite having to sell their best players every year, the Bergamaschi have continued to be competitive, while sticking to the concept of full-throttle football that has impressed in the Champions League in recent seasons. With so many young players coming through at the perceived smaller clubs, there is no denying the current strength of the production line of top-level footballers in Italy. After what was a significant dearth of talent coming through in the years after the World Cup win in 2006, Serie A can now boast of some explosive emerging youngsters. Clubs like Empoli, Atalanta and Sassuolo should be applauded for the way they operate and the opportunities they give to young Italian players. Take Manuel Locatelli for example, who was released by Milan after bursting onto the scene with a wonder goal against Juventus in 2016. He has been allowed to mature and develop into one of the best midfielders in Europe and at 23 years of age, could be soon making a move to join Juventus. Others like Roma starlet Nicolo Zaniolo, Milan duo Davide Calabria and Sandro Tonali, Ricardo Orsolini of Bologna, Empoli midfielder Samuele Ricci, and Sassuolo striker Gianluca Scamacca, will no doubt hope to be in Mancini’s plans as Italy build towards the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The riches are spread out across Serie A, promising a bright future for the national team.

Matteo Pessina embodies Atalanta’s all-action style and the midfielder shone at the Euros

Domenico Berardi in action for his Serie A club, Sassuolo

LA DEA RISING

WITH ATALANTA’S PLAYERS BRINGING THEIR IMPRESSIVE CLUB FORM INTO THE SUMMER, CIRO DI BRITA ASSESSES HOW LA DEA’S TALENTED SQUAD FARED AT EURO 2020

JOAKIM MAEHLE -

Denmark, defender, 24

Maehle scored twice at Euro 2020, once in the group stage in a 4-1 win over Russia and then in the last 16 in

Denmark’s 4-0 defeat of Wales. The wing-back was a key part of the Danes’ revival following the trauma of Christian Eriksen’s collapse in their opening match.

MARIO PASALIC -

Croatia, midfielder, 26

Pasalic made two substitute appearances for Croatia as they exited in a 5-3 defeat to Spain in the last 16.

Unfortunately, the midfielder was unable to make a significant impression on the Euros.

ROBIN GOSENS -

Germany, defender, 27

Gosens was named man of the match for his performance in Germany’s 4-2 win over Portugal in the group stage. The wing-back scored the fourth goal and provided two assists to gain revenge over Cristiano Ronaldo, who refused to swap shirts after a league game between Atalanta and Juventus.

ALEKSEI MIRANCHUK -

Russia, midfielder, 25

Miranchuk scored the winning goal in

Russia’s 1-0 victory over Finland and earned himself the man of the match award. However, that wasn’t enough to prevent his country finishing bottom of

Group B, as they lost 4-1 to Denmark in a deciding fixture.

REMO FREULER -

Switzerland, midfielder, 29

Freuler started all five games for the

Swiss as they made it to the quarterfinals for the first time, beating world champions France in the last 16. He was unlucky to be sent off against

Spain for what was a soft red card, as the Rossocrociati went out on penalties.

MARTEN DE ROON -

Holland, midfielder, 30

De Roon started three of Holland’s four games in the tournament. Despite such a positive start through the group stage, the Oranje’s campaign ended in huge disappointment against the Czech Republic in the last 16.

“LA MIA GIOIA PIÙ GRANDE #HOMESWEETHOME” @BERARDI25