Nation has fallen back in love with the Azzurri’s attacking style but it will mean nothing if they fall at the final hurdle
Roberto Mancini has achieved the goal he set out at the start of Euro 2020. In an open letter on the eve of the tournament, Italy’s manager promised that his team would throw themselves at this opportunity with the enthusiasm of kids in the playground, offering their country “moments of joy that, just for a second, will let us forget about the year we’ve just gone through”.
That much had been delivered by the end of the curtain-raiser against Turkey. Italy won 3-0, but more than that they attacked with relentless commitment, pouring forward to the end. Ciro Immobile and Lorenzo Insigne celebrated their goals with a sweary homage to cult football movie L’Allenatore nel Pallone.
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