Philipp Spornberger, defender for the Italian fistball team.

Fistball European Championship: Three games, three defeats for Italy's team

The Italian national team has just completed an intense second day at the Fistball European Championships in Tondern: Playing two matches within a few hours, against Switzerland and Austria, the young team faced a demanding schedule. In the end, they suffered two defeats, but the circumstances surrounding the two matches could hardly have been more different.

August 13, 2026

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Italy put up a strong fight against Switzerland for much of the match. At the start of each of the three sets, the balance of power was even, with the Italian defense in particular delivering a consistently strong performance. However, the Azzurri lacked the necessary attacking power at times, allowing Switzerland to score easy points repeatedly. In the end, the Swiss prevailed 3-0.

Coach Florian Runer was nevertheless satisfied with the progress: "Overall, today's performance was a significant improvement over yesterday and very good. The defensive team, in particular, deserves praise for their sensational performance. However, we still need to improve our attack to be able to compete at this level."

No chance against title favorites Austria

Italy had a much tougher time a few hours later against Austria, the reigning World Cup runners-up and one of the tournament favorites. The Azzurri were unable to offer any serious resistance to the Austrian team at any point – Austria won convincingly 3-0. While the Austrian hosts started the match with five fresh players, the Italians clearly showed the effects of their intense morning game.

Defender Philipp Spornberger offered a sober assessment of the defeat: "Unfortunately, we had no chance in this game, and the loss was deserved. However, our final position was already determined before this match." His focus is already on the future: "Tomorrow, however, it's all or nothing against the local favorites. We absolutely want to win to stay in contention."

Outlook: All or nothing against host Denmark

Thursday will be pivotal for Italy's Euro campaign: In their match against hosts Denmark, the Squadra Azzurra needs a win to secure direct qualification for the semi-finals – where they would most likely face Austria again. After two intense days with a total of three matches, it will become clear whether the young Italian team can summon the necessary freshness and composure against the Danish hosts in front of their home crowd.