The Italian team has a positive balance, with two wins, three draws and a single defeat, in its matches played at Wembley, where it will play next Saturday, June 26, the round of 16 of the European Championship.
The team led by Roberto Mancini finished first in group A, with full points, thanks to the 1-0 victory achieved this Sunday against Wales at the Roman Olympic, in what was their last match against their fans in this European Championship.
Italy will face the second-placed in Group C, Austria or Denmark, in the round of 16 and, if they advance, they would have on the horizon a quarter-final match in Munich and the final phase again in London.
“It is nice to play at Wembley, we will play in a fantastic stadium. Another tournament begins from the last 16, we will have to play well to reach the end. Our wish is to return to Wembley later as well,” Mancini said at the subsequent press conference Italy-Wales, when referring to the semi-finals and the final of the European Championship.
The ‘azzurri’, who enjoyed a day off on Monday, in which many players took the opportunity to meet their families at their hotel in Rome, the Parco dei Principi, played six times at the Wembley temple, always against England.
The first match dates back to 1959, a 2-2 friendly finish, while the second was played in 1973, when Ferruccio Valcareggi's Italy triumphed 1-0 thanks to a goal from Fabio Capello.
Italy's only defeat, in an official match, came in 1977, when Enzo Bearzot's team, who five years later would win the third of the four Italian World Cups, fell 0-2.
A setback that Italy took revenge on in 1997, en route to qualifying for the 1998 World Cup in France, after a 0-0 friendly in 1989.
In that 1-0 victory the protagonist was Gianfranco Zola, then Chelsea striker, who signed the decisive target.
The last confrontation dates back to March 2018 and ended 1-1. It was played at an extremely delicate moment for Italy, which five months earlier had failed in the World Cup play-offs against Sweden and had not gotten the ticket to the World Cup in Russia.
It was the team of Gigi Di Biagio, interim coach, and the duel ended 1-1 with goals from Jamie Vardy and Lorenzo Insigne.
From that gray moment, everything has changed for Italy, who with Roberto Mancini has been reborn in sport until they shine in this European Championship for their attractive game and rocky defense.
They overcame the group stage with full points, nine out of nine, with seven goals in favor and zero against. They had not been able to close a perfect group stage since 2000, when they were a finalist in the European Championship.
He has eleven consecutive victories, all without conceding goals, and also equaled his record of thirty games without defeats, which he had held since 1939, when Vittorio Pozzo was the coach.
“It is the Italy we dreamed of. The game and the team are the absolute protagonists and are the result of a process that began three years ago,” said a satisfied Gabriele Gravina on Monday at a press conference at “Casa Azzurri, a center open in Rome entirely dedicated to fans of the Italian national team.
The enthusiasm in Italy is maximum and the numbers recorded by the local televisions that broadcast the match against Wales show it.
If the data of the two channels that have the television rights to transmit the Eurocup, “Rai” and “Sky Sport” are put together, the screen share touched 62%, according to data provided by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) .
Experience dreamy moments Italy, who will travel to Wembley on Friday to extend their Eurocup journey and fuel their ambitions to get their hands on their second title, after the one they won with Valcareggi in 1968.