It’s always sweet to return to the places where we were happy; It’s exciting to walk among the historic stones of Berlin’s Olympiastadion which 18 years ago absorbed the screams of our world triumph. On the eve of that Italy-France match, in finishing training, Totti scored a mocking penalty, Peruzzi saved it and celebrated it with the gesture of the umbrella. That owl Michel Platini prophesied: “You will beat France in 2030”. Coach Marcello Lippi told him in the press conference: “I’m sorry, I don’t have enough patience. Satisfied with the final? No way… If we lose it, we’ll get angry like animals”. This is how a big game is prepared: with the light heart of players aware of their own strength and with the strong charisma of a leader who knows how to convey hunger and pride. Tonight we’re not playing for the world, just the possibility of taking another step into the European Championship: from the round of 16 to the quarterfinals. We don’t have to beat the France of the divine Zidane, but only the Switzerland of the very human Xhaka. But this is also an important match, because, qualification aside, it must give us significant answers and in some way it will mark the growth of a young national team that has the ’26 World Cup as its horizon.
New route
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With 4 World Cups on our shirt and the historical experience that the blue team brings, we refuse to feel like underdogs, but it is objectively true that Switzerland, in this part of the tournament, has impressed more than us. We have not yet provided a rounded performance, in terms of physicality, tactical compactness and technical quality, like that of the Swiss against Germany. The midfield of Xhaka and Freuler is important, the Bolognese band (Aebischer, Ndoye, Freuler…) has been filled with knowledge by Thiago Motta. Tough team to overcome. And, since they kicked us out of the last World Cup, we don’t find out now. Spalletti changes again. If he had accepted the habit of 3-5-2, also under pressure from the players, for an Italy “with less beauty and more substance”, capable of gaining the qualification point, now, having escaped the danger thanks to the Zaccagni miracle, he resumes hand the rudder. As if to say: “Sailors, I listened to you in the storm. But now that it’s over, we’re sailing back towards beauty. Italians must be proud of us. That’s not enough.”
Beans time
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It’s good. That’s his football and that must follow. We sensed it in the good first half against Albania. We return to the 4-man line: 4-3-3. Having lost the rampant Calafiori to disqualification and Dimarco (the last Grosso) to injury, Spalletti launches Mancini, who grew up in the myth of Materazzi, alongside the feverish Bastoni, with Di Lorenzo and Darmian as full-backs. But the most intriguing news is in the engine room. The coach suspends his confidence in Jorginho indefinitely and opens the door to Fagioli, who has been knocking for some time. We should gain in dynamism, interdiction and speed of circulation. For the Juventus player, who remained out of action for 7 months, a unique opportunity, a graduation exam against a tough midfielder, in a solemn theater like the Olympiastadion in Berlin. If he welds his ideas to Barella’s race and Cristante’s geometries, a department of perspective and satisfaction could emerge. The three have complementary characteristics (order, technique, aggression) and, on paper, they can divide the functions well. The department could receive good help from the other bet of the evening: El Shaarawy who has demonstrated this year that he has achieved considerable tactical maturity and works well on the wing in both phases. Let’s hope for the true Church on the right.
Muro Gigio
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Spalletti has reserved one doubt: the center forward. Scamacca or Retegui. The first is more breakthrough, the second more guerrilla style. The feeling is that the Bergamo player has the advantage. Also for the words spoken by the coach: «Scamacca has quality, creativity and a flair that tears you to pieces. I have had few players with such a powerful kick. If he pulls on you, you won’t have time to move.” If you have someone like this, you must find him at all costs. We have to score goals. Not doing so to Switzerland cost us a World Cup. We absolutely need them tonight. And he serves Chiesa ’21. In three games, Scamacca and Retegui have combined for a shot on goal twice: wake up call. We expect a tough battle, even beyond the 90th minute. The Swiss, thinking back to Jorginho’s penalties, smile and hope for an encore. Are you sure? Yesterday we saw Donnarumma sitting in the press room. He spread his arms and was touching the walls. Then Sommer sat down… We had the Berlin Wall (Gigi) and we still have it (Gigio). Go ahead and roll.
