After a five-year major tournament absence, Italy became the first side to reach the Euro 2020 knockout stage. Richard Jolly looks at how Robert Mancini has overseen an incredible turnaround.
Though Italy had yet to join it, World War II was a couple of months old when the longest unbeaten run in Azzurri history was ended. Italy had not lost in 30 games, or over four years, in a time that included their 1938 World Cup triumph, until Switzerland triumphed 3-1 in 1939.
Vittorio Pozzo’s record rarely seemed safer than in recent years. Gian Piero Ventura’s reign ended amid the ignominy and the historic low of Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.
Roberto Mancini lost his second game in charge, and then his fifth. And then he stopped losing.
Italy arrived at Euro 2020 undefeated in 27 games; the opening 3-0 win against Turkey made it 28, victory over Switzerland by the score made it 29.
Ten consecutive wins, each with a clean sheet. They had only conceded nine shots on target in those 10 clean sheets; just three of those were from within the six-yard box and one of them was from an acute angle.
When the final whistle blew against Turkey, they had gone 875 minutes without conceding.
Part of Italy’s improvement under Mancini has been defensive. They conceded the fewest goals (two) of any of the 16 teams in League A of the Nations League in the autumn and the fewest shots (7.7 per game).
In Euro 2020 qualifying, only Belgium conceded fewer goals than their four; only Belgium and Ukraine had a higher save percentage that Italy’s 85.7.
Over two campaigns, it illustrates that Gianluigi Donnarumma is both well protected and excellent when called upon.
It all fits the stereotype of Italian defensiveness, but progress has been dramatic at either end of the pitch. In Euro 2020 qualifying, only Belgium outscored Italy. In the Nations League, they averaged 16.3 shots per game, behind only Spain and Portugal among top-tier teams.
Some of that improvement has been unheralded because it has not been spearheaded by any one individual. Instead, it has been a triumph of the collective.
Italy did not have any of the top 25 scorers or assisters in Euro 2020 qualifying, or anyone who ranked in the top 10 for shots or crosses. None of their players made Uefa’s XI for the team of the qualifiers.
But plenty chipped in. Andrea Belotti got four goals and Nicola Barella, Ciro Immobile, Lorenzo Insigne and the penalty specialist Jorginho three apiece, followed by five more players on two each.
By the Nations League last autumn, Insigne had emerged as the creator-in-chief. He recorded three assists and his average of 3.8 key passes per game was the most in the top flight of the Nations League.
Insigne scored for the second successive international against Turkey and Immobile for the third. Insigne had the most shots of any Italian in the Nations League, despite only featuring in four of the six games, and his development into a talisman has been a theme. Over the course of all of Italy’s games in the last season, he has had both the most shots and key passes.
But it is a sign of his role – ostensibly on the left but drifting infield as the full-back becomes a one-man left-flank – that both Leonardo Spinazzola and Emerson Palmieri, the two main left-backs, have delivered more crosses.
So has Nicolo Barella, nominally one of three central midfielders but actually a player who drifts towards the right. Spinazzola has made the most dribbles of any Italy player with Insigne and Barella tied for third.
Statistically, Barella profiles more similarly to Insigne and Spinazzola than his fellow central midfielders. The difference in the pass completion rates of Barella (82) and Jorginho (93) show how different their roles are.
The fact that Barella has made the most challenges – and, in particular, most attacking challenges - of any of Mancini’s team indicates how they can play a high pressing game. Only Manuel Locatelli has made more tackles than Barella.
At the other end, Giorgio Chiellini does more of the traditional defending. Even though he has played fewer games this season than his Juventus team-mate Leonardo Bonucci, Chiellini has made more challenges, more defensive challenges and more aerial challenges.
Bonucci’s reading of the game means he tops the team charts for ball recoveries. He has far more interceptions than Chiellini.
Euro 2020 Winner odds (via Sky Bet)
- France - 7/2
- England - 5/1
- Belgium - 6/1
- Italy - 6/1
- Portugal - 15/2
Odds correct at 0800 BST (17/06/2021)
The caveat in any run in international football is that the standard of opposition can vary. It is worth noting that, apart from a two-minute cameo by Barella, Italy’s regulars sat out the 7-0 thrashing of San Marino, so it has not warped their personal statistics.
But, while they have an outstanding record against those they have met, draws have tended to keep them away from the supposed best. They have beaten Holland (17th in the world rankings), Poland (21st), Turkey (29th), Finland (54th) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (55th) in their revival under Mancini.
Italy will have to defeat higher-ranked teams if they are to cap their renaissance with silverware.
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