Italy, disastrous year | Gazzetta.it

We went back one year and glimpsed progress in the Nations League were swept away on the Night of Oslo. We had deluded ourselves that we had found an Italy if not on the bigger level, at least … nearby. Norway has made us understand that reality is very different and that Post European Spalletti’s care has had very limited effects. Over twelve months we went from the Ko against Switzerland (2-0) of 29 June 2024, complete with an elimination of the German European Championship, net 3-0 collected on Friday against Haaland and members. In the middle the feat in France, the flashes of beautiful football seen with Belgium, but also many, too many, goals conceded. If we thought we had touched the lowest point against Switzerland, unfortunately we were wrong: the coach did not find the teenage of the skein.

Illusion Nations

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And to think that last September, beating France in Paris (3-1) and Israel on the neutral field of Budapest (2-1), we had deluded ourselves that we had pulled our heads out of underwater. Merit of the enthusiasm brought in the middle of tonals in the middle of the field, available again after having served the disqualification for the betting affair. The former Milan gave the shock, did not make the absence of Barella felt and returned vitality to the team that then drew against Belgium in October (2-2) and clearly exceeded Israel (4-1). The national team returned to shine and the peer against the red devils arrived after remaining in ten for the expulsion of pilgrims: until then we were 2-0 and we had dominated. Without history, the challenge with Israel, but also deserved the victory in November in the home of Belgium, sunk by the usual tonals. We faced the last challenge of the Nations group in front of France and perhaps we believed we were … too good: Deschamps’s men beat us at San Siro with three goals on developing kicks placed and overtook us by sending us to Germany in the playoffs. The rest is more or less recent history, with the defeat in March against the Germans, still at Meazza (on the tonal network), and the re-stock from 3-0 to 3-3 (Kean’s brace, penalty penalty) to Dortmund after an embarrassing first half in which we were annihilated. No qualification for the Nations League Final Four, but we had the feeling of being able to compete with everyone as long as they limit the goals on the inactive ball, ten out of thirteen before the match against Norway. It was just an illusion.

Meat

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In Oslo Spalletti and Italy, light years have gone back: the team tactically was confused as to the European Championship, when the four defense was alternated with the three-way one, and on Friday the 3-5-1-1, preferred at 3-4-2-1 tried in Coverciano, did not help. The question, however, are not the numbers: we were devoid of several “heavy” players (Kean, Calafiori, Buongiorno, Politano and Locatelli the main ones), distracted by the car-exclusion of immigrants from called up, but above all we were not with the head and legs (not only the Interists returning from the defeat in the Champions League final). The group did not respond to the CT from the point of view of the game and the motivations, but he was unable to transmit how decisive this challenge was for the future. There was no desire to help yourself and there was no rag. And to think that in Udinese, Rome and Napoli, Luciano had imposed himself thanks to his tactical intuitions and the football he made. With Italy of beautiful game only shy traces. Before the darkness of Oslo.