Italy is back “among the greats of football”

Deep into the night, the euphoric semi-finalists sang their team song “Un'estate italiana” with great fervor. The impressive 2-1 in the quarter-final duel between two top favorites further strengthened the Italians' belief in their own strength and their first title in a decade and a half. 32 games without defeat, five wins in five games at the European Championship and now the European Championship qualification test with flying colors against Belgium's golden generation - who will beat these Azurri?

“We haven't achieved anything yet, we still have to do more. We can achieve great things,” said Lorenzo Insigne. With his dream goal in the best Arjen Robben style, the striker from SSC Napoli provided one of the offensive highlights in the Munich Arena, which was playing its last game of the tournament. Before getting ready for the semi-final summit on Tuesday against Spain in London's iconic football venue Wembley, coach Roberto Mancini let his stars take a breather on the Saturday without training. Enjoy first was the order of the highly esteemed gamer expert. The gazettes are in ecstasy “I've never played with such a smile,” Insigne reported. “It's like playing with friends during the week. He makes it possible for us to play our best football.” The goals from Insigne and Nicolò Barella were only matched by one goal from Romelu Lukaku thanks to Belgium's super offensive led by Kevin De Bruyne, who was called up despite a torn ligament. And it came after a foul penalty, which would certainly have caused a lot of angry discussions in the event of an Italian elimination. Now it was at best a peripheral aspect.

Italy's fans are over the moon. © ANSA / Alessandro Di Marco

“Italy, you are great, great, great,” she exulted Journal of Sport and proudly stated three years after missing the World Cup in Russia: “We are back among the greats of football.” How big will also depend on the semi-finals in the long-running European Championship with the Spaniards. At the European Championships 2016 in France, the Italians won in the round of 2012. But the lesson from the 4 European Championship final, when La Furia Roja humiliated their southern European rivals 0-XNUMX, still has an impact. The dream of the title is becoming more and more real “The title is no longer a mirage. “La Roja is shaking: Now comes Italy,” he said Corriere dello Sport more euphoria. “We will enjoy this, relax and then another difficult game will follow,” said Mancini after the deserved victory. The former world-class striker was “proud” of his team, which had acted very mature tactically. If there was a drawback, it was the final phase, in which the Italians overplayed their hand over time and thus made the brilliant performance in the style of a champion lose some of its appeal.

Tears mingled with the joy because of the serious injury to Italian defender Leonardo Spinazzola. He is facing a long break after what the association suspects is a ruptured Achilles tendon. The AS Roma defensive player left the team for his homeland. On the return journey, his colleagues celebrated him particularly with chants.

In a nod to the legendary Julius Caesar line, the Belgians presented Lukaku armed as a gladiator before the game with the famous words “Veni, vidi...”. After the final whistle, Italy's association countered with a “vici” decorated in the country's colors. Veni, vidi, vici: I came, saw and conquered.

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Italy is back “among the greats of football”

Veni, vidi, vici: Italy is winning its way back into the ranks of the “greats of football”. After the “magical power” of Munich, the Squadra Azzurra is looking forward to the semi-final summit with Spain. A European Championship humiliation is unforgettable.

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