Euro 2020: Under Roberto Mancini an Italian renaissance
Italy’s 53-year wait for a European title had been subsumed by the rolling snowball of “it’s coming home” and “55 years of wait” conversations. True, Italy won two World Cups in between but the failure to qualify for the last one—a first since 1958—had severely dented notions of being a proud football nation. So, when Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Bukayo Saka’s weak penalty, the tears rolled.
Visibly emotional was Italy coach Roberto Mancini. Possibly awash with relief that Italy hadn’t been made to pay for his stop-start penalty routine being picked by Jordan Pickford, Jorginho wept. Donnarumma went from looking calm to wet-eyed. And when Federico Chiesa hugged his coach, who was also his father Enrico’s teammate, both were crying.
“That was the emotion (of)… seeing everything we have managed to create, all of the work we have put in over the last three years and specifically in the last 50 days,” said Mancini, the architect of this Italian renaissance after taking charge in May 2018. Italy have risen from the ashes of a failed World Cup qualification in 2017 to being undefeated in 34 successive games. That is one short of Brazil’s and Spain’s world record which Italy can equal on September 2 in a World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria.
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For Mancini, the victory also slayed ghosts of 1992. Sampdoria had lost the chance to be Europe’s best to Barcelona; Mancini playing 118 minutes of the 0-1 defeat at Wembley. Gianluca Vialli, the head of this Italian delegation, played 100 minutes. It would be the last time the goal twins represented the same club. Vialli and Mancini are an example in this team of relationships going beyond the call of duty. Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne are a second and Leonardo Bonucci and skipper Giorgio Chiellini (they even do vacations together) a third. As club coaches in England, Vialli and Mancini have won domestic competitions at Wembley but it is one thing to do that and another to win on a European night.
The night though got dark for Italy soon after another energy-driven performance of the national anthem. Luke Shaw’s second minute half-volley after a slick move also involving Harry Kane and Kieran Trippier was the earliest a team had scored in a Euro final. Like Germany did to Portugal, Italy were dragged out of shape by wingbacks Trippier and Shaw. A Jorginho mispass and England stroking the ball around in Italy’s half summed up the first 30 minutes.
