Don't cry for the Italians!

Italian illusion

A remarkable statistic emerged following Italy's defeat to Switzerland: since 2016, the defending champions have consistently been eliminated in the round of 16. This includes Spain's (2012 champions) defeat to Italy at EURO 2016, Portugal's (2016 champions) loss to Belgium at EURO 2020, and now Italy's (2020 champions) defeat to Switzerland.

Whether it's called a "curse" or not depends on one's perspective. But there's one conclusion that experts and fans alike agree on after last night's match: Italy was eliminated because they were inferior, not because of any kind of jinx.

The sadness of the Italian team

The picture of Italian football over the past 20 years can be summed up in the words of defender Massimo Oddo (formerly of AC Milan): "The worst thing for Italian football was winning the 2006 World Cup, because it gave Italians the illusion that they had a strong football foundation."

Indeed, after the 2006 World Cup, the Italian national team was eliminated in the group stage of the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, and then failed to qualify for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. That glorious victory in Berlin was like a stone thrown into a lake, sinking to the bottom, with only fleeting ripples lasting for a few seconds.

Sadly for the Italian team, winning EURO 2020 might be meaningless. It would only serve to appease a team, or a footballing nation, that has nothing left to speak of.

Did Italy deserve to win EURO 2020? Absolutely. The Azzurri won every game from their opening match to their championship, playing both captivating attacking football and displaying resilience and tenacity. However, that tenacity disappeared after the retirement of veteran players Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. And the flair was gone after the injury of Federico Chiesa, Italy's brightest star of the tournament.

The Italian team is a disjointed and weak group.

The Italian team reached the pinnacle of European football thanks to a squad of promising players who peaked at the right time. However, the championship did not give the Azzurri a boost, because Italian football inherently lacks talent, with little more than the generation of players who had already won the EURO that year.

Proof of this is that right after EURO 2020, Italy was knocked out of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers by... North Macedonia. Just like in the 2006 World Cup, one trophy wasn't enough for Italian football to rise from the abyss.

Coach Spalletti must take responsibility.

In the past, the Italian national team impressed with their powerful renditions of the national anthem. However, ironically for Italy, after their defeat against Switzerland, this detail was brought up to be ridiculed. "The Italian team is only good at singing the national anthem," was a sentiment that spread with hundreds of thousands of interactions on social media.

Coach Luciano Spalletti may blame football for being too cruel, but he also has himself to blame. From La Republica, he criticized the Italian national team as "one of the ugliest teams in many years." This isn't just about the players; it's also about Spalletti's approach to player selection and tactical management.

Coach Spalletti is not 'innocent'.

How is it that Mateo Darmian, who once missed a penalty that led to Italy's elimination by Germany in the quarter-finals of EURO 2016, is still able to remain at EURO 2024? The defender had a failed stint at Manchester United and his talent is unremarkable, yet coach Spalletti still has to use him.

Gianluca Scamacca, a player who couldn't even stay at West Ham despite a very high transfer fee, is the striker chosen by coach Spalletti to lead the Italian national team's attack. Stephan El-Shaarawy, a name that hasn't been among the top teams in Europe for many years, is still trusted by Italy.

Italian football is severely lacking in talented players, as both Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho have commented. However, with the former Napoli coach's tactical approach, perhaps no amount of players will ever be enough. The Italian team played disjointedly and lacked organization against Switzerland, but this weak performance was evident in the group stage. The only difference is that Italy still advanced, because their opponents made more mistakes.

But coach Spalletti didn't learn his lesson. He also couldn't do anything to revitalize the lackluster team, other than offer empty pronouncements.

The Italian team lost because... they had nothing to win. Not a single tear was shed for Italy after the defeat. Coach Spalletti and his team did not deserve it.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/dung-khoc-cho-nguoi-y-185240630140757557.htm