The Monday Scratch

Football, now let's get ready for Spain. But why does Italy always make us suffer?

The usual catchphrase has started: the one according to which we Italians, in order to do something good, need to react to some slaps of bad luck. Or to some of our initial frailties, which we then manage to transform into our strengths by pulling out our attributes.

17 June 2024

Lorenzo Pellegrini, Gianluca Scamacca e Davide Frattesi cantano l’inno d’Italia prima dell’incontro con l’Albania a EURO 2024

4' min read

It is a trivial question, but sometimes stupid questions are the best: but why has football always had to suffer since Italy has existed?

Why is it compulsory to stay on your toes even when the opponent is clearly weaker, like Albania on Saturday night? Why is it never possible to sit back, sip a beer in peace, relax for five minutes like the fans of Germany and Spain did when their clearly stronger teams beat the hell out of Scotland and Croatia?

Now, after the tooth has been pulled out of our teeth, and we can think with a modicum of serenity about Thursday's upcoming challenge with Spain, it all seems explicable. Even the sensational mix-up between Dimarco and Bastoni, in the light of the Azzurri's subsequent reaction, has gone by the wayside. Indeed, to hear some fine commentators, that very cold shower after 23 seconds gave us a formidable jolt to react, confirming what we are made of. Made not only of play and tactical modules, but also of heart and a precise identity that will allow us, optimists say, to move forward in the tournament.

The usual catchphrase

There it is, the usual catchphrase has started: the one according to which we Italians, in order to do something good, need to react to some slaps of bad luck. Or to some of our initial fragility that we then, by pulling out our attributes, manage to turn into a strength.

Do we have to remember the 'match of the century', that Italy-Germany in Mexico '70 that ended 4-3 when we could see the abyss? And the triumph at the World Cup in Spain in 1982, where at the start we almost got thrown out by Cameroon and Peru? And at the last European Championship, let's be honest, who gave us as favourites? The English, swollen with beer and arrogance, were convinced they would beat us in the final at Wembley. They laughed in our faces. Then it ended as it did. With the Italians in triumph and her majesty's lions whimpering in the pubs.

There is one thing, though. It's one thing to suffer against emblazoned teams like Germany and England that have made football history, it's another to go under after 23 seconds with Albania for a folly that even Freud would struggle to explain. "

Stay focused

These things happen,' commented coach Spalletti in response to a specific question. But what was this poor man who insists so much - it's one of his hobbyhorses - on the ability to concentrate and keep the opponent under constant pressure supposed to say? Like the rest of us, not being able to spout off publicly (the cameras would have immediately caught him in the act), he must have thought the worst things we humans think in such cases. Then it is true that there was a wonderful reaction from Italy. Then it is true that the same ones who had made the omelette (Dimarco and Bastoni) were protagonists in the two goal actions that overturned the result.

So certainly everyone is to be commended. Certainly in the first half the Azzurri dominated in an overpowering and convincing manner. Certainly we saw those movements with and without the ball that are the 'commandments' etched in stone by Spalletti. Everything was beautiful and reassuring until the end of the first half. Practically perfect.

But then what?

Then slowly the usual Italy emerged.

That one scares us, that one doesn't put us at ease, that one doesn't close the matches it has to close. The pace dropped, the chances faded, the web of passes multiplied, reminding us that the result was always the same: 2-1. In the balance. All it took was another distraction, or a good play by the Albanians, to plunge us back into the abyss. Which, punctually, happened in the 91st minute when Donnarumma, with his back or some other part of his body, managed to deflect a diagonal pass from Manaj that seemed to be in. The Azzurri goalkeeper exulted; Spalletti paled back to his usual ebony colour and the hapless Italian fan breathed yet another sigh of relief, finally enjoying the famous cold beer left in the fridge.

But the question is always the same: why do we have to suffer even when it is not necessary? Why do we always have to come a step away from the abyss? Does the doctor oblige us? Is it written in the Constitution? Why?

Eulogy of the beautiful game

Afterwards, it is useless to tell us that the Azzurri have assimilated Spalletti's liquid, 'relational' football. That everything starts from the beautiful game. That our players can switch from 4-2-3-1 to 3-2-4-1 as if nothing had happened. That Barella is number one, that Scamacca in attack is making his presence felt (but when will he score?), that young Calafiori, despite his last hesitation, made a good debut.

All good things but, as Spalletti says, to be really good, 'they have to take us somewhere'. Not least because next Thursday we will be up against another team in the red shirt, Spain. Tough team. It is no coincidence that Spanish players are called the 'Red Furies'. Here, to hurt us, they will already take care of it, let's not help them, please.