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Italy has not lost a football match since September 2018, an astonishing run of 33 games unbeaten, with the last coming on Wednesday night, the semi-final of Euro 2020.
A 34th and they will be crowned European champions.
Italy are quadruple world champions but failed to qualify for the 2018 edition. On Sunday, they will face England or Denmark in the final of Euro 2020.
After conquering Italy at their lowest, manager Roberto Mancini reveled in defying expectations after the Azzurri advanced to the final with a spectacular penalty shootout victory over Spain.
Italy’s transformation under Mancini over the past three years has been extraordinary. And they were forced to fight to the end against Spain, taking the advantage thanks to the brilliant goal of Federico Chiesa but being secured as Alvaro Morata’s equalizer went 1-1 and forced extra time before the Azzurri won 4-2 on penalties.
After scoring seven unanswered goals against Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in the group stage, they clinched an overtime victory over Austria and then beat Belgium in the quarter-finals despite losing to the left-back Leonardo Spinazzola due to a tear in the Achilles tendon.
Now they are getting closer to a second European Championship title.
“When you play in a World Cup or a European Championship it’s intense, and there is always a game where you have to dig and suffer to win,” said Mancini. “Not everything can be smooth as our progress has been so far.
“We knew this was the one that was going to be really tough, and that’s why I think the players and everyone who has worked with us over the past three years deserves a lot of credit because it hasn’t been easy. at all.
“Almost nobody believed we could do it, and yet we are in the final so we are thrilled for Italians around the world.”
The Italians took to the streets of the country to celebrate, while 11,000 of their fans – all based in the UK as restrictions prevented overseas supporters from traveling – were at Wembley to see Jorginho score the kick. decisive during the shooting.
Euro 2020 will see them make their 10th appearance in the final, with six at the World Cup and three at previous European Championships [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]
Italy were in deep trouble after losing to Sweden in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers and Mancini had to pick up the pieces.
He rebuilt them, and at this Euro they’ve been almost the complete team: from the veteran pair of center-back Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to brilliant attacking full-backs, a gifted midfielder trio of Marco Verratti, Jorginho and Nicolo Barella, and a livewire frontline.
“The players wanted to play a brand of football that people liked and so far they have managed to do just that,” added Mancini.
Euro 2020 will see them make their 10th appearance in the final, with six at the World Cup and three at previous European Championships.
But while they have won the World Cup four times, their only continental triumph to date has come as host of the four-team event in 1968.
Since then there have been two final losses which have been painful in different ways.
In 2000, they were devastated by a French gold goal in overtime in Rotterdam, while in 2012, Spain tore them apart to win 4-0 in Kiev.
10 – Italy have now reached their 10th major tournament final (World Cup / Euros) – only Germany (14) have made more major tournament finals among European nations than Italy (including the ‘Euro 2020). Pedigree. # EURO2020 #ITA pic.twitter.com/DlMASt57Cf
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2021
“There is still a step to take and now we have to rest because it was really very difficult,” added Mancini. “When you start your sixth game with all the travel, it gets very tiring.”
Italy hope the seventh will be even more memorable.
“Playing for my country in matches like these, representing 60 million Italians, was an incredible dream,” said Juventus forward Chiesa, the son of Mancini’s former Sampdoria teammate Enrico. Chiesa.
On Tuesday night, Jorginho hit home with an incredibly cool kick to sort things out after Spaniard Alvaro Morata, who equalized in regulation time, was stopped by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
The Azzurri had been dangerous on the counterattack but it was against the run of the game when they took the lead in the 60th minute. Federico Chiesa picked up a loose ball to wrap brilliantly in the far corner.
Spain equalized 10 minutes from time when substitute Morata played a nice one-two with Dani Olmo before coming home, but they couldn’t find a winner.
“I just want to congratulate my players, we have shown that we are a team and we will continue to do so,” said Spain manager Luis Enrique.
Italian players celebrate coming to final after winning penalties [Laurence Griffiths/Pool via Reuters]
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