Luis Enrique-Tassotti An elbow to innocence but without the intention of revenge
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Until this year, in the corridors of the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas, a few meters from the gym, a large photo, well framed, was resplendent, honoring one of the 37 duels between Spain and Italy played so far. It was, of course, the picture of that final of Euro 2012, on the immortal garden of Kiev, where Casillas lifted the last title of the Spanish team. A few months ago, that snapshot, just like the rest of the
greatest hits
, remains under lock and key for a redesign issue. The walls of the Spanish headquarters have been customized for the Euro and dressed in red to house the new RFEF logo. Until a few months ago, in front of that portrait of 2012 all the players summoned with La Roja usually passed. As if it were a kind of pilgrimage.
The footballing history between the two countries was born at the Olympic Games in Antwerp 1920, a century ago.
The balance could not be more balanced: 11 wins for each and 15 draws.
Under the spell and mystique of Wembley Stadium, in an unprecedented semifinal, one of the two will end up showing their chest.
They are 101 years exchanging goals and blows.
Luis Enrique
knows it well
.
27 years have passed since
that elbow from
Tassotti
in the quarterfinals of the '94 World Cup.
It was also a deep wound in sports (2-1) for a generation.
The selector is still carried away by the demons every time that is evoked.
As if it were still taboo.
It was just one more photo.
Luis Enriqe faces Tassotti at the '94 World Cup.
AN OLYMPIC PREMIERE.
A century ago, soccer was something else. In Spain there was not even a professional league (it would start in 1929). And in Italy they called the Spanish team the
Furia Rossa
. Today the name sounds like a cliché, but that is how that famous group was baptized: "To me, Sabino, the squad, I run over them!" Spain would take that first round in the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, thanks to two goals from the Arenas de Getxo player Félix
Sesúmaga
(0-2) and the saves by
Zamora
, who would end up expelled.
JUMP IN THE WORLD CUP '34.
The first duel of magnitude came at the World Cup in Italy.
The matter, far from being solved the first time (it ended 1-1), required a second round, also at the Giovanni Berta stadium in Florence.
There Italy struck its stab and sent our men home for the first time.
Sanchis fights a ball with Mancini at Euro 1988. GETTY
THE ZARPAZO OF VIALLI.
Go ahead that in that European Championship 33 years ago, Gianluca
Vialli
looked great and shared the lead with Roberto
Mancini
, today the
Azzurro
coach
. Vialli, with a crossed shot, beat
Zubizarreta
in Frankfurt and left Spain badly injured, forced to defeat the powerful Germany (FRG). Of course, he fell in that last duel and returned home. Eight years ago (Euro'80), they lived the first official duel in five decades. It finished without goals.
"AND THIS ONE, WHERE?"
Vienna's Ernst Happel saw Iker Casillas fly, who guessed the intentions of
De Rossi
and
Di Natale
. But there was one more detail that changed the fate of the Spanish team. Buffon had no reference to
Cesc Fabregas
on penalties. "He was the first to pitch since he was 15 years old," the midfielder would admit after the pass. Hence, Buffon looked like a madman at his bench without finding an answer: "And this one, where?" Intuition was of no use to him. It was the night the curse of quarters was shattered.
"REFEREE, 4-0 IS TOO MUCH!"
If Casillas sank Italy in 2008, Casillas put Italy at his feet in 2012 with an indelible gesture.
"Referee!
Respect for the rival!
Respect for Italy!
4-0 is too much! ”, He yelled at the assistant, with the final chewed, so that he would not add more time.
That pierced the soul of a transalpine team that lived their biggest nightmare.
From that edition, an iconic image: that of Iniesta, surrounded by
Maggio
, Thiago
Motta
,
Chiellini
,
Marchisio
and
Bonucci
.
Neither was able to take the ball away from him.
Iniesta, chased by players from Italy in 2012 BRAND
AN ENDLESS BAND OF PENALTY.
There were 13 shots needed in that round of the 2013 Brazilian Confederations Cup. A canarinho rehearsal for the World Cup that was coming. There were no goals and the matter had to be resolved from 11 meters. But he did not do it until
Bonucci
sent his shot to the clouds and Jesús Navas finished off Buffon. Spain would be executed by Brazil in the final (3-0).
FROM THE FOREST, END POINT.
Under the sky of Paris, at Euro'18, a Spanish team definitively capitulated. A group with tweaks that had already hit rock bottom in Brazil. Between
Chiellini
, who this Tuesday will command the Azzurro defense, and
Pellè
, already at sunset, the Del Bosque boys sent home. Italy wrote his epitaph, after a decade as coach.
THE GUILLOTINE OF ISCO.
Italy arrived in 2017 at the Santiago Bernabéu sighing for the leadership of the group that gave direct access to the World Cup in Russia, but ended up shrunken by an
ecstatic
Isco
(3-0), who sent it directly to the play-off, for the first time in its history .
He left Madrid beaten and, a few weeks later, would be without a place for the world championship, after falling in the play-off against Sweden.
An entire country cried and, in part, Spain was to blame.
It was the last time they met on the road.
The desire for vendetta is eternal.
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