Italy and Spain play the first semi-final of the Euro on Tuesday evening at Wembley Stadium in London.
A return to the fore for these two great footballing nations, which had not reached the last four of a major international competition since 2012. Europe 1 tells you about their resurrections.
DECRYPTION
For many years, Italy and Spain have provided countless football stars, from Buffon to Pirlo, including Xavi, Iniesta and Casillas.
The recent history of these two giants of world football has, however, been more complicated, with no semi-final of a major international competition since Euro 2012 (La Roja's 4-0 victory in the final against Squadra Azzurra).
More expected as outsiders, they both thwarted the forecasts by climbing into the last four of this Euro, signaling their return to the fore.
Europe 1 tells you about the rebirth of these two great selections, before their clash on Tuesday evening in the semi-finals at Wembley, London (9 p.m.).
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Rebirth after a long eclipse
The Italian "rinascimento" is arguably the most spectacular. Because we must measure the trauma experienced by an entire country on November 13, 2017, the day when Squadra Azzurra finds itself eliminated in play-offs for the 2018 World Cup by Sweden (0-1, 0-0). After this national tragedy, the coach Roberto Mancini launched a vast reconstruction operation, focusing above all on the game (we will come back to this). A site that has succeeded beyond all expectations, with an incredible ongoing series of 32 unbeaten games since November 2018 (against Portugal) and a magnificent Euro so far, with the superb victory against Belgium (2- 1) in the quarter-finals.
Spain has not ceased to disappoint since its European success in 2012. The end of the golden generation of Casillas, Xavi, Iniesta and co was painful, with the elimination in the first round of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Then La Roja was beaten in the round of 16 of Euro 2016 by Antonio Conte's Italy, before being frustrated by the host country, Russia, again in the round of 16 at the last World Cup (defeat on penalties).
But for two years, she has operated on a patient "reconquista" with a new generation of players.
A change that culminated in this Euro, with two spectacular victories against Slovakia in the first round (5-0) and against Croatia in the round of 16 (5-3 ap).
The rebirth thanks to their trainers
The two Mediterranean countries have as a point in common a charismatic trainer, passed by big clubs and which is at the base of their rebirth. Luis Enrique, winner of the Champions League with Barça in 2015, took over the reins of La Roja in the wake of the 2018 World Cup. The former attacking midfielder has yet experienced a terrible personal tragedy, with illness and then the death of a girl which forced him to hand over between March and November 2019. His return to business was in any case a success, Luis Enrique giving a soul and character to the Spanish selection. "This selection has achieved the impossible: give hope to all of Spain and make it dream of achieving what seemed unattainable," said Emilio Contreras, deputy director of the sports daily
Marca on
Saturday
.
Roberto Mancini also achieved great feats at the head of Squadra Azzurra.
The former coach of Inter Milan and Manchester City has bet everything on an attacking and licking game, with a stifling pressing and intensity at all times.
His speech, based on the collective, was perfectly heard and understood by his players, who have impressed since the start of the Euro.
"There is an incredible desire, a great respect for roles, energy, friendship between the players", enumerated, admiringly, the ex-star of the Nazionale Alessandro Del Piero after the demonstration against Belgium.
The rebirth by two groups without big stars
The Italian collective relies on a talented workforce but without current football stars. The defense, very solid, can count on his duo of veterans of Juventus Giorgio Chiellini-Leonardo Bonucci, in front of the very likely future goalkeeper of PSG, the young and very promising Gianluigi Donnarumma. The midfielder also impressed, with the metronome of Chelsea Jorginho, the young and also very promising Nicolo Barella and obviously the Parisian Marco Verratti. In attack, the Neapolitan Lorenzo Insigne was dazzling against Belgium, with a superb goal, while the center forward Ciro Immobile has a revenge to take after his poor match in the quarter-finals.
Spain, she continues to practice a game of possession that can sometimes purr, as against Switzerland in the quarterfinals. But she is also able to put a lot of intensity and get countless chances, like against Croatia in the eighth. La Roja, in which only captain Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba remain from the glorious turn of the 2010s, gives pride of place to young people and solid club players. We can mention in particular the nugget of FC Barcelona Pedri, already essential in the middle at only 18 years old, or the goalkeeper of Athletic Bilbao Unai Simon (24 years old).
In front, she relies on Pablo Sarabia, yet a substitute for PSG and who is uncertain Tuesday due to an injury, and on Juventus striker Alvaro Morata, strongly criticized but who responded by scoring against Croatia. A big performance against his adopted country would certainly make him go from banished to hero. A story of rebirths, we tell you.