Euro 24: Switzerland beats Italy 2-0, the Azzurri return home NEWS and PHOTOS – Euro 2024

Switzerland beats Italy 0-2 in the first round of 16 of the European football championships underway in Germany. The blues are eliminated.

“We lacked the rhythm, the freshness, which always makes the difference. Tonight I changed some players but at the moment we are not able to do more than that”. Luciano Spalletti spoke to Rai microphones after being eliminated from Euro 24. “That goal at the start of the second half cut our legs off, we weren’t very incisive, the pace made the difference, their ere higher in the first half and also individuality there was a different pace between the pairs. Many weren’t continuous in pressing, in nibbling away centimetres”.

“Going out like this hurts, we apologize to everyone.” Gianluigi Donnarumma, goalkeeper and captain of Italy, is frank after the national team’s elimination from Euro 2024after a match in which they were dominated by Switzerland. “The elimination is deserved – Donnarumma continues to RaiSport – and the way it happened is very hard to digest. The first half went very badly, then we had to react in the second and instead we immediately conceded the second goal. Was courage lacking? Everything was lacking, the quality, the courage…”.

I GOL

In the 47th minute SWITZERLAND-Italy 2-0! Vargas network. Aebischer finds Vargas in the penalty area. The Swiss number 17 has the space to control unhindered and then unleashes a right-footed shot to the far post that ends up in the net to Donnarumma’s left.

In the 38th minute SWITZERLAND-Italy 1-0! Freuler network. Vargas finds the insertion of Freuler in the center of the area. The midfielder controls with his right foot and then with his left foot he finishes towards the goal. Donnarumma deflects but fails to avoid the net.

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THE AZZURRI: “WE APOLOGIZE TO EVERYONE”
From the tears of joy of the World Cup won 18 years ago to those of sadness for a European Championship that was practically over almost before it began. The Azzurri’s adventure in Germany thus ends between the boos of the Italian fans arriving at the Olympiastadion and the crying of the players who ended up on their knees on the lawn of a stadium that entered the history of Italian football for the World Cup won in 2006. “Leaving like this hurts , we apologize to everyone – says a distraught Italian captain Gianluigi Donnarumma – The elimination is deserved – continues Donnarumma who is today the best on the pitch for Italy – and the way it came out is very hard to digest. The first half went terribly , then we had to react in the second and instead we immediately conceded the second goal. What if we lacked courage? Everything was missing, the quality, the courage…”.

The disappointment of the Azzurri

Donnarumma is not the only one to make mea culpa. But from the boos received from the players who at the end of the match went under the curve of the fans and from the gesture of those who rejected the penitential gesture that came from the field, excuses were not accepted. For Donnarumma it is “difficult to talk today, we need to make a mea culpa, apologize to the fans. It’s a huge disappointment, we never got into the game. We left the ball in their hands, making too many mistakes. Let’s give credit to Switzerland who played a great match but we should have done much better, we have players to start from, playing in the cups will help many boys to manage these matches better, to have a higher pace, as many strong young players need in these matches who only lacks experience, the fans must remain calm about this even if it is hard to hear these words now”

“Building from the bottom? When you kick two or three long balls and they always get them, without managing to handle them, then it’s better to start from the bottom, you struggle less, otherwise there’s a huge hole when they recover the ball – continues the goalkeeper, answering the questions of those who criticize. But you need the strength to manage the balls better and get the team going, we make too many mistakes with simple balls and we get stuck. In the first half they always had it, it killed us, we weren’t aggressive. We’re very disappointed – concludes Donnarumma – we all have to take responsibility, and move forward. I tried to give a boost, the desire to react, to help each other was missing, everything was missing today. You could see it on the pitch, it was unacceptable”. Darmian is also very disappointed: “At this moment, disappointment and regret prevail. It’s difficult to give explanations. Because we have to apologize to everyone for what we did,” Darmian told Sky after the defeat against Switzerland. “Losing is never pleasant, it’s hard when you suffer defeats like this,” concluded the Azzurri and Inter defender.

Switzerland Italy

THE MATCH
Ugly, exhausted, without ideas. It was supposed to be the Italy of the revolution wanted by Luciano Spalletti, and instead the worst national team of this European Championship is overwhelmed and humiliated by a powerful, fast, tactically perfect Switzerland which, after having taken away the joy of the World Cup from the Azzurri two years ago, it throws them out of a European Championship in which they had only remained thanks to Zaccagni’s last-second goal against Croatia. What condemned an unwatchable Italy, in the Berlin stadium, was a 2-0 for Switzerland signed by the beautiful goal in the first half by Bologna midfielder Remo Freuler and by Vargas’ curling shot after the second half had just begun, among many blue statuettes. Thus ends, without ever being exciting, the continental tournament of Donnarumma and his teammates who give up the cup won at Wembley and return home with the awareness that it will take a long time to see a national team worthy of its history again.

Furthermore, the horror afternoon takes place in a place, the Olympistadion, that had given endless satisfaction in 2006 with the World Cup won by Lippi. Once the match started, everything was confirmed in Italy, with Mancini alongside Bastoni in defense. In midfield, in the control room, space was given to Fagioli in place of Jorginho, while in the advanced trio, El Shaarawy made his debut in the competition. On the left, Rieder replaced the suspended Widmer for the Swiss, with Aebischer moving to the right wing. Up front, the light attack was confirmed with Embolo-Ndoye and Vargas. Ready to go with a very aggressive Switzerland that, while not making itself too dangerous, compressed the Azzurri in their half of the field in the first few minutes. Then Italy began to make itself seen thanks to Fagioli who began to take them by the hand: a beautiful pass for Cristante who flew towards the goal defended by Sommer but did not get the assist right. Once again the Swiss team created the first real chance of the match with Embolo who flew towards the Azzurri area and fired a curling shot that Donnarumma parried like a champion.

Switzerland Italy

Once the first fear has passed, the Azzurri come forward with the first shot from Chiesa who comes back and shoots with his right foot, Akanji deflects it for a corner. It’s an Italy that tries to ease the Swiss pressure, but Yakin’s team controls the game, once again dangerous with Rodriguez and then with Rieder. The Swiss pressure doesn’t stop, Italy is unable to come out in a match that seems like a repeat of the one against Spain. The Rossoneri took the lead inexorably, in the 37th minute: beautiful action by Xhaka and his teammates, Ndoye touched for Vargas on the left, low cross which rewarded the central insertion of the Bologna midfielder Remo Freuler, Mancini was late, stop and volleyed right foot on the near post beating Donnarumma for the Swiss 1-0. Once ahead, Switzerland does not stop, going one step away from 2-0 on a free kick with Rieder but Donnarumma is still providential by deflecting the shot onto the post. Thus ends a horror first half for the Azzurri, kept afloat only by their captain. The second half starts with Zaccagni replacing El Shaarawy, even if many more changes would be necessary, but it starts in the worst possible way for Italy who goes 2-0 down, when the 46th minute has not yet been completed: Aebischer receives on the left wing and serves the movement in tow of Vargas at the edge of the area, a perfect right-footed shot from the Swiss number 17 which goes right under the top corner to the left of Donnarumma. Italy tries to shake itself off and comes close to scoring thanks to a fortuitous deflection by Schar which ends up on the post. Spalletti also brings in Retegui for the injured Barella, but the Azzurri’s pressure is sterile and does not scare Switzerland who manages to defend themselves well.

In the 30th minute the Azzurri were close to reopening it: another woodwork hit, a cut behind the defense by Zaccagni who found himself alone in front of Sommer, the Lazio winger served Scamacca who hit the post from a meter from the goal in a wide position. Right there where the European Championship ended for Italy who tried again, but Switzerland did not concede anything and even came close to 3-0 with Zuber. And that’s how the celebration of the red tide in Berlin could begin, after having destroyed in the bud the dreams of a dull and unwatchable Italy that did not honor its history. In that Olympiastadion that had made people dream with a World Cup won 18 years ago coloring the sky blue and that today, instead, is all red. The Italian fans instead booed the players who went to apologize at the end of the match, and it was the image of the deep blue. for the apotheosis of a Switzerland increasingly bête noire.

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