The surprise of ‘Ciccio’, the ecstasy of a people. Slovakia beats Belgium 1-0 on the first day of group E of Euro 2024 and moves to the top of the table with 3 points together with Romania. Francesco Calzona, originally from the Vibonese area, takes the Calabrian bench derby against the Belgian coach Domenico Tedesco, originally from the province of Cosenza. For Belgium, more than a match, it was a real curse with many missed goals and two goals canceled out for Lukaku by the VAR. Tedesco relies on a 4-2-3-1 with de Bruyne behind Lukaku and places Carrasco at left back. On the other side, Calzona deploys his 4-3-3 with Bozenik as central striker. Ready, go and after 3 minutes Lukaku takes the 1-0.
The match
Coming down with the scooter to Doku’s right, de Bruyne hits badly, the ball reaches the center forward who however shoots at the goalkeeper. At 6′ it’s Lukaku again. ‘Big Rom’ flies towards the area, goes past the goalkeeper, but goes wide. The action ends in nothing. A few seconds pass and Slovakia takes the lead. Faes makes a mistake in setting up, the ball reaches Kucka who wastes it, on the rebound there is Schranz who doesn’t forgive. It’s 1-0 in the 7th minute. Belgium’s reaction is sterile and the opportunity to equalize for Tedesco’s team comes thanks to an error by Dubravka who misses the clearance, Trossard doesn’t take advantage of it and instead of serving Lukaku shoots high. In the 40th minute, Slovakia had the chance to double the lead. Cross from Kucka, Haraslin volleys, Casteels flies and says no. A few seconds pass and Lukaku has the equalizer. The number 10 appears alone in front of the goalkeeper, but he is not cold. In the second half, Belgium immediately set off in search of an equaliser, which arrived in the 55th minute thanks to Lukaku who sent Onana’s pass into an empty net from a corner. However, a check to the VAR cancels the goal and the fans’ euphoria, signaling ‘Big Rom”s offside position. We remain at 0-1. Mistakes, bad luck, but Lukaku doesn’t give up and fights. A few seconds after the strangled scream he tries again with a shot that goes to the outside of the net. In the 62nd minute, a sensational chance for Belgium. Doku sprints and puts it in the middle, Bakayoko just has to score, but Hancko is on the line who sacrifices himself and says no. It seems to be a curse for the ‘Red Devils’ who tremble in the 77th minute thanks to a good move organized by Calzona’s team. Schranz goes down the wing, Pekarik invents a backheel that ends just wide. Tedesco tries everything, but there are few opportunities. Until the 87th minute when Lukaku found the goal to make it 1-1. Openda darts down the left and puts in a ball that Lukaku just has to push into the net. It seems like a liberation, but it is increasingly a curse. The var detects a handball by Openda and the goal is disallowed. Nothing more happens in the eight minutes of injury time. ‘Ciccio’ rejoices at having made the history of a people, the memory of Naples is distant, qualification for the next round of the European Championships is much closer.
The Calabrian derby of the benches
It was Calabria against Calabria at the European Championships in Germany, rather than Slovakia against Belgium. On the one hand Francesco Calzona, a coach born in Vibo Valentia, whose career is closely linked to that of Maurizio Sarri, with whom he collaborated in Avellino, Verona, Perugia, Empoli and Naples. In 2022 for him, as Luciano Spalletti’s assistant again in Naples, the opportunity arrives to lead Slovakia which he will manage to lead to Euro 2024, with the negative parenthesis of Napoli as first coach. On the other Domenico Tedesco, Belgium coach originally from Bocchigliero in the Cosentino area, who left Calabria at just two years old to reach Germany. Experiences as a sports journalist up to a degree in management engineering. His first experiences as youth coach with Aichwald, Hoffenhiem’s Under 16 team and his arrival on the Aue bench in the German B team which saved them from relegation. Finally the move to the Bundesliga to lead Schalke, then again Spartak Moscow, Leipzig to then receive the most prestigious offer, the bench of the Belgian national team.
