Spalletti's revamped Italy ready for title defense

MILAN — Luciano Spalletti leads a new-look Italy to Euro 2024, as the Azzurri look to defend their continental crown in Germany and try to emulate their past World Cup heroes.

Italy is in its first major tournament since triumphing at the last Euros three years ago, and Spalletti has been entrusted to guide his nation out of another bout of deep soul searching.

Spalletti takes Italy back to the scene of perhaps the country's greatest soccer triumph, the 2006 World Cup won by a golden generation of players which included Gianluigi Buffon, Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo and Fabio Cannavaro.

The national team has been going through something of an identity crisis ever since, unsure of its position in the global game and no longer as feared as it was in decades past.

Even the 2021 victory, which made national heroes of the team, and Spalletti's predecessor Roberto Mancini, came as a thrilling surprise to supporters who had become accustomed to international mediocrity.

The heroes of Wembley, who beat England on its own patch, have largely been cast aside by Spalletti, after failing to reach a second straight World Cup less than a year after its victory at European soccer's showpiece event.

In their place, a younger generation will now aim to rebuild Italy's reputation and re-create some of the biggest international successes of the Italian game's greats.

"In football you need new incentives, new blood, people who are willing to put themselves forward and show what they're made of," said Spalletti on Monday.

"If you're not ready to take on these challenges, or you're not ready to take on this responsibility, you will lose."

Spalletti only called up five of the team that started the final victory over England for his initial 30-man squad, which he whittled down to 26 on Thursday.

Young guns

While age caught up with some of the notable absentees, including retired captain Giorgio Chiellini and his centerback partner Leonardo Bonucci, others, like Lorenzo Insigne, Marco Verratti and Leonardo Spinazzola, have simply fallen by the wayside.

Spalletti also surprised fans by deciding to leave Manuel Locatelli at home — a revelation at the last Euros — despite playing in March's friendlies against Venezuela and Ecuador.

That was a decision which led the Juventus midfielder to post a black screen on Instagram in dismay at being dropped, while his club teammate Nicolo Fagioli got a call-up, despite sitting out most of the season after a seven-month ban for gambling on soccer matches.

"I went through seven very difficult months. I was on the front pages every day for two weeks and that wasn't exactly enjoyable," said Fagioli on Monday.

"It's a dream for me to wear this jersey, and I'll give 100 percent for it. That's more important than tactics or skill."

Fagioli is one of a raft of players in the squad with little international soccer experience, with nearly half of Spalletti's initial selection having fewer than 10 caps for their country, and 12 with fewer than five.

Spalletti is, in many ways, the star of this Italy team, much as he was when he led Napoli to a historic Serie A title just over a year ago.

The 65-year-old preemptively ended his post-Scudetto break to take on the biggest job of his career after Roberto Mancini jumped ship to Saudi Arabia in August.

At the time, Italy had a task on its hands to qualify, but Spalletti confidently took the reins and gave fans hope for another dramatic summer.

AFP