Championship holders Italy believe a great defence can win them back-to-back trophies at Euro 2024 in Germany.
Euro appearances: 10
Euro Titles: 2
Best finish: Winners (1968, 2020)
Euros Record: W21 D18 L6
Goals scored: 52
Biggest win: 3-0 (vs Turkey and vs Switzerland in Euro 2020)
Player to watch: Federico Dimarco
World ranking: 9th Team
Team nickname: Gli Azzuri (the Blues)
Group Fixtures:
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Italy arrives at the Euros as defending champions, but the title comes without the aura; it has been gradually eroding since that incredible summer night at Wembley, London, in 2021.
Less than a year after their crowning glory at the Euros, the Azzurri encountered the ignominy of missing out on the 2022 Qatar World Cup after a stunning stoppage time goal saw them lose their playoff semifinal to football minnows North Macedonia.
Their qualification campaign for Euro 2024 was similarly fraught.
After their first two qualifiers – a loss to England and a win over Malta – Italy were rocked by the resignation of manager Roberto Mancini after more than five years in the job.
He was replaced by Luciano Spalletti, whose first game in charge was a 1-1 draw, which also happened to be against their 2022 nemesis, North Macedonia. With only one victory in their first three games, Euro 2024 qualification suddenly looked precarious.
A run of three wins in four matches saw Italy go into the final group game against Ukraine, knowing a loss would see them enter the playoffs. A tense goalless draw secured direct passage to the Euros owing to their superior head-to-head record.
To go along with their qualification woes, the Italian side’s preparations were rocked by a betting scandal that saw the police visit the national team’s Coverciano training centre ahead of their qualifiers in October to question Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo. The duo subsequently left the camp and Tonali was later handed a 10-month ban by the Italian Football Federation.
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