In recent years the tense stories have been betweenItaly hey World Cupwith two editions in a row skipped, but until 1992 the script had been repeated frequently for him Europeans.
Euro 2020, the celebration of Bonucci and Donnarumma (Ansa)
The skipped editions
Suffice it to say that it is only from 1996 that the Azzurri participate permanently in the continental event. The story between Europeans el’Italy in reality it has been troubled since the beginning: in fact, the lack of participation in the first edition, the one held in 1960 in France and won bySoviet Union. That year they were at the start 17 teams who competed in direct elimination rounds, with home and away matches, and were not even among them England And West Germany. In the 1964 the music was different: theItaly this time she wanted to participate but was eliminated in the qualifying phase by the reigning championsSoviet Unionthus nullifying the first round victory against the Türkiye. The first token was therefore that of 1968 and for the Azzurri it was not an anonymous participation. Far from it: thanks to the success at home, after which, however, there would not have been the much desired continuity. The following decade was in fact nothing short of dark for the Nationalwhich in 1972 it doesn’t enter a main draw for a select few: to be precise West Germany, Hungary, Soviet Union And Belgiumwith this last vigilante team ofItaly in the qualifying quarter-finals. In the 1976 the path of the Azzurri stops in the group stage of the qualifiers in a group, that 5which also included Holland (the only one to pass), Poland And Finland. We change decade but not music: theItaly world champion after the glories of 1982 does not qualify to Euro 1984sensationally failing in a qualifying group that also included Romania, Sweden, Czechoslovakia And Cyprus, with the latter becoming the only team to lose at the hands of the Azzurri. If the trend reverses in 1988With the’Italy eliminated in the semi-finals bySoviet UnionIn the 1992 the last non-participation caused by second place was recorded (full of regrets in particular for the pole hit in Fly from Ruggiero Rizzitelli) In the Group 3.
Learn more:
The history of the European Football Championships: when they exist and who won the first edition
The editions won
The disappointments weigh more on the scale, but are well compensated by the two high notes. The first is the home-made one 1968 in which they participated, apart from the Azzurri, only England, Soviet Union And Yugoslavia: it was the latter team who surrendered in the final, who finally surrendered 2-0 (networks of Gigi Riva And Pietro Anastasi) only in the so-called replay after the first final act, in the absence of penalties after extra time, had ended on1-1. Well before, it was the coin that smiled at the Azzurri, who in this way liquidated the practice Soviet Union in the semifinals. After a long wait 53 years oldIn the 2021 it will be the penalties that crown theItaly to Wembley against the hostsEngland after extra time had ended on1-1 (networks of Luke Shaw And Leonardo Bonucci).
