Italy, queen of Europe for the second time

Thanks to their victory this Sunday on penalties against England at Wembley, Italy reigns in Europe for the second time in their history. The 'azzurra' team, which eliminated Spain from the tournament by penalties in the semifinals, is, after Brazil, the second, tied with Germany, which has won the most World Cups (4, for the 5 achieved so far by the 'canarinha') , but until today he had only won one Euro Cup. Specifically 53 years ago, in 1968.

Italy led by Roberto Mancini (who eliminated Austria in the round of 16 and Belgium in the quarterfinals) leveled on July 11 at Wembley Luke Shaw's goal in the second minute (through Kieran Trippier) with Leonardo Bonucci's goal in the 67 '. And in the end, the title was decided on penalties. It is Mancini who has once again made the ‘azzurra’ a European champion team. He reached the ‘nazionale’ in 2018 when the team was under the shock of not having qualified for the 2018 World Cup in Russia and managed to rebuild it.

It was on June 10, 1968 and at the Rome Olympics when Italy won their first European Championship by beating then-Yugoslavia 2-0 in the tiebreaker. The first match had ended 1-1 two days earlier, on the 8th (Dragan Dzajic scored in 39 'for the Yugoslavs and Angelo Domenghini tied in 80' for the Italians). The score was not moved in overtime.

In the tiebreaker, the legendary Gigi Riva in minute 12 and Pietro Anastasi in minute 30 gave the ‘azzurri’ the Eurocup, with the legendary Dino Zoff in goal. In 1982, 14 years later, Zoff won the World Cup in Spain with Italy by beating Germany 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabéu. That was the penultimate of the 4 World Cups won by the ‘nazionale’ (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006).

In that Italy that won the first ‘azzurra’ Eurocup, coached by Ferruccio Valcareggi, other ‘calcium’ legends such as Giacinto Facchetti and Sandro Mazzola played that tiebreaker against the then Yugoslav team.

Just this Sunday, July 11, which marked the 39th anniversary of the World Cup won by Italy by Paolo Rossi or Dino Zoff in Spain in 1982, that Italian team that was European champion in 1968 has found heirs in the one led by Roberto Mancini. For 15 years, since the 2006 World Cup, the fans of the transalpine country could not celebrate a great title of their beloved ‘nazionale’. This Italy, which is the work of Roberto Mancini, has made it possible.