Italy’s World Cup Qualifying Campaign More Promising After Euro 2016 Run

For the Italian national team, the 2016 UEFA European Championship is over.  The players are back in Italy and will soon return to their clubs, some of which have already started preparing for the 2016-17 season. For dedicated observers of the Azzurri, the next major item of interest will start in September, when new coach Giampiero Ventura leads the men in blue into qualifying for the 2018 FIFA... 

Giampiero Ventura the Right Man to Take Azzurri into Next Generation

A subplot to Italy’s journey through the knockout rounds of the 2016 UEFA European Championship concerned the Nazionale’s future manager. In April, it was announced that manager Antonio Conte would leave the Azzurri when his two-year contract was up and take the vacant job at Chelsea in the English Premier League.  As the knockout rounds commenced, broadcasters pointed out continually... 

Italy Comes Agonizingly Close in Euro 2016 Exit to Germany

On Saturday night in Bordeaux, France, two titans of football went head-to-head. The quarterfinal match between Italy and Germany had been hailed as worthy of being the final of the 2016 UEFA European Championship, and the game lived up to its hype. The two teams waged a pitched battle at the Stade de Bordeaux in the mold of some of the classics. It took 120 minute to try to separate them, but all... 

Italy vs. Germany Will Determine Euro 2016 Favourite

The bottom of the knockout draw at the 2016 UEFA European Championship was a daunting sight. Among the eight teams on this side of the bracket were five former world champions.  France, England, Spain, Italy and Germany toted 11 World Cups combined into this phase of the competition, as well as nine combined Euro wins.  It looked like a series of titanic clashes was in order. Despite the... 

Italy Play Perfect Game to Dethrone Champions Spain

The king is dead.  Long live the king. Two-time defending European champion Spain have been eliminated from the 2016 UEFA European Championship by Italy, and in emphatic fashion.   The Azzurri played the perfect team game and came away with a deserved 2-0 victory and a date with Germany in the quarter-finals on Saturday. Both teams had come into the round of 16 having lost their group finale,... 

Italy and Spain Renew Rivalry in 1st Euro 2016 Knockout Round

It’s time to get down to business. The group stage of the 2016 UEFA European Championship is over, and the knockout rounds begin on Saturday. For Italy, the round of 16 starts on Monday at 5 p.m. BST (noon ET), when they square off against fellow European titan and two-time defending champion Spain. The Azzurri earned this marquee fixture after defying expectations and winning Group E with... 

Ireland Defeat Exposes Italy’s Lack of Depth

The group stage of the 2016 UEFA European Championship came to a close on Wednesday.  The final games on the slate came from Group E, and they provided ample drama.  Both matches were decided by goals in the last 10 minutes, and the contest between Italy and the Republic of Ireland saw the latter qualify for the round of 16 in dramatic fashion with a 1-0 victory. The Italians came into the... 

Italy Must Keep Momentum Going in Group Finale Against Ireland

The group stage of the 2016 UEFA European Championship is drawing to a close, and Italy are sitting pretty in Group E. By virtue of their victories over Belgium and Sweden, the Azzurri have sealed top spot in the group.  They’re one of only two teams in the field to have at least six points in the group without having conceded a goal.  For them, the final group match against the Republic... 

Italy’s Emanuele Giaccherini Is the Embodiment of Antonio Conte’s Coaching Ethos

Much has been made of the choices Italy manager Antonio Conte made when he finalized his 23-man roster for the 2016 UEFA European Championship earlier this month. The general consensus was that it was one of the weakest groups the Italians have put together for a major tournament.  Part of that couldn’t be helped.  Injuries to Juventus‘ Claudio Marchisio (torn ACL) and Paris Saint-Germain’s... 

Antonio Conte Answering His Critics, but Questions Remain for Italy

So little was expected of the Italy national team as the 2016 European Championship began. The Azzurri were without two of their best midfielders due to injury, and their forward line was a hodgepodge of journeymen and youngsters unproven at international level.   The overall talent level of the final squad was considered one of the worst in the country’s history, and the imminent departure... 

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