words by Mark T. Collinson
For the second most successful team in world football, qualification for the European Championships in 2012 was far from a formality. After winning their group with ease to qualify for the finals in Poland-Ukraine, it seemed the Azzurri pressed the auto-destruct button. Poor pre-tournament friendly results, including defeats to USA and Russia, as well as allegations of match fixing saw Cesare Prandelli’s side offer to withdraw from the finals all together.
So it was with little expectation that the Italians took to the field in their Euro 2012 opener against the reigning world and European champions Spain in Group C on 10th June. It took little over an hour before Italian substitute Antonio Di Natale gave Italian nation renewed hope. Unfortunately Barcelona’ s Cesc Fabregas made it all square after just three minutes, and with both sides missing good chances it was a fair result.
After a “better than expected” start to the tournament, Italy took the lead in their second match, against Croatia, after a fantastic Free-Kick from playmaker Pirlo after 39 minutes. It seemed that unfortunately the Italians had learnt nothing from their first game and, again, conceded a soft goal, from Croatia’s Mandzukic, to leave them needing a win in their final group game to reach the last eight.
Luckily for Italians their final group game was against the Republic of Ireland who were already on their way home, after defeats to both Croatia and Spain, and with goals from Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli booked their place in quarter finals against England.
The Olympic Stadium in Kiev, was the setting that the Italian masters were finally to shine. England’s lack of imagination and refusal to adapt to an ever changing game may have been their own downfall, but it was one man’s refusal to accept that he was playing well beyond what was expected from his 33 year old legs that made the game. Andrea Pirlo dominated not only the midfield, but the game, and it was well after midnight in Kiev that his audacious chipped penalty and Alessandro Diamanti’s final kick saw the Azzurri through to the Semi Finals.
It is a rare situation in world football that Italy can ever be called “underdogs”, but against Germany in Warsaw, on 28th June 2012, they were exactly that. The Germans came fresh from victories against the Dutch, Denmark, Portugal and Greece and were much fancied to lift the trophy on 1st July . The Italians made the Germans look ordinary with some slick, controlled passing, reminiscent of the great Italian side of old. It took just 20 minutes before the unsettled German defence allowed Antonio Cassano to turn free of his marker before crossing for wayward striker Mario Balotelli to head home. The perfect start was bettered after 36 minutes when Balotelli added a second to put the tie beyond the Germans. Mesut Oezil added a late conciliation with a penalty kick, but it was scarcely noticed by Cesare Prandelli’s men who already have their eyes on Spain in the final on Sunday and a chance to win their first major final since 2006: a long time by Italian standards.
