Ahead of the showdown against Ukraine, fans of defending champions Italy are in good spirits due to their recent performances. They are only afraid of one situation.
He also dares to celebrate again: Federico Chiesa slid on his knees towards the corner flag, beaming with joy and stretching his arms towards the evening sky. Exactly 400 days after he tore the cruciate ligament in his left knee. A ten-month break due to injury was followed by almost a year of arduous search for old form.
A double pack plus celebrations in the win against North Macedonia on Friday (November 17, 2023) confirm: Everything is fine again for the Juventus striker. Italy can count on perhaps its best attacker, in time for the European Championship showdown against Ukraine (Monday, November 20th, 2023, live ticker at sportschau.de). One point is enough for the Italians to make it clear that they qualify for the EURO in Germany. If they lose, they would have to take the detour via the Nations League play-offs.
Spaletti: “Chiesa is our Sinner”
In any case, Italy’s national coach Luciano Spalletti had already named Chiesa as the best player before the North Macedonia game. With the greatest praise currently available in sport in Italy. “We also have a top player,” Spalletti told journalists when the conversation turned to the ATP finals in Turin and the hype surrounding Jannik Sinner: “Our Sinner is Chiesa.” The 26-year-old thanked for the public tribute with two goals and an otherwise strong performance.
The fact that Italy is going into the game against Ukraine in Leverkusen with new courage doesn’t just have to do with Chiesa. The Squadra Azzurra as a whole radiated new enthusiasm against North Macedonia, despite a few dips in performance. Above all, however, there was a clear desire to put an end to the painful period for Italy after the European Championship triumph in the summer of 2021, including the missed World Cup qualification in 2022.
Spaletti’s handwriting is clearly visible
A lot of Spalletti’s signature, who only took over in September, can already be seen in Italy’s national team: dominant demeanor, pressing, pressure from the flanks, sometimes effectively a five-man attack line through advancing midfielders.
However, against North Macedonia we could also see what was still missing. Defensively, the Squadra Azzurra is still far from the stability of days gone by, when Italy was synonymous with successful defensive work in world football.
But Spalletti, who led SSC Napoli to the championship title with offensive football, does not want to deny his philosophy in the crucial phase of European Championship qualification. “We definitely want to win these two games,” he said before the games against North Macedonia and Ukraine. To follow up with his mantra: “Good Playing football increases your chances of winning.”
Barella second Bearers of hope
Alongside Chiesa, Nicolò Barella is one of Italy’s hopes for a successful Euro 2024 mission. The Inter midfielder, whose style of play is reminiscent of Lothar Matthäus of better days, was, along with Chiesa, one of the youngest in Italy’s team that climbed to Europe’s football throne at Wembley in 2021 . Barella also went through performance valleys afterwards. Now, against North Macedonia, the 26-year-old was involved in almost every successful Italian offensive action, including two assists. “A leader,” bowed the Gazzetta dello Sport.
Barella’s Inter teammate Federico Dimarco (26) has also found his place in Spalletti’s newly sorted Squadra Azzurra. The dynamic man with his formidable shooting technique seamlessly continued his impressive performances on the left wing in the league for weeks in the national team.
Giacomo Raspadori (23) from Spalletti’s former club SSC Napoli is also part of the restart. The small and slight but technically strong center forward kept Italy’s attacking game fluid against North Macedonia and added a goal to boot.
Age does not protect against nomination
Otherwise, Spalletti relies less on a change of generation than on a change of face when it comes to staff. Anyone who performs well in the league gets a chance in the national team. Like 34-year-old Giacomo Bonaventura from Fiorentina. The attacking midfielder, brought back after many years away from the national team, was a top performer against North Macedonia.
As does 33-year-old Matteo Darmian from Inter Milan. Having been ignored for five years under Mancini, the defender proved to be reliable at the back and opened the can up front with his opening goal.
The best-known returnee under Spalletti is Jorginho. After the soon-to-be 32-year-old got back on track at Arsenal, he can now direct the national team again. Accompanied by a footballing declaration of love from his coach.
Until the national team meeting last week, Spalletti admitted, he only knew Jorginho from television. Already in the first training sessions, the coach reveled, Jorginho made “an incredible impression on him. How he immediately took the team by the hand. What footballing intelligence he has. What joy he exudes in being part of this group.” .
Jorginho again unsuccessful from the spot
Similar to Chiesa, Jorginho was inspired by the praise of his coach (for whom strong speeches from his kickers have been part of his toolbox for decades). The European champion impressed in the comeback as a puller in the center. However, Jorginho also cultivated his new quirk, which was unpopular with the fans: for the fourth time in a row, the supposed specialist was unsuccessful with a penalty in the national team. A missed shot by Jorginho against Switzerland was one of the reasons why Italy missed the World Cup in Qatar.
However, Spalletti’s enthusiasm for his new acquaintance means that he doesn’t want to shake his ability as a penalty taker. If there is a penalty for Italy against Ukraine on Monday evening, the Arsenal player will be allowed to grab the ball again.
“Jorginho remains a special penalty taker,” declared Spalletti, regardless of the empirical experience of previous attempts. After the North Macedonia game, he told Jorginho that he should also take the next penalty – “and he answered yes.” An announcement that rather worries the Tifosi.