Come on Italy, 11 gladiators on the pitch and millions of fans worldwide supporting you. Let’s go for the victory and defeat Spain. Forza Italia pic.twitter.com/Isgw7i0gDC
Italy Head Coach Roberto Mancini in the press conference on Monday 5 July 2021of the UEFA Euro 2020 Semifinal against Spain on Tuesday 6 July at Wembley in London. Italy is living a great moment showing an astonishing record of 32 consecutive wins. Yet, we might argue, that the most important win for the moment to make it to the Final is to defeat Spain to grab the ticket. On this respect, Spain has set the record with 35 wins between 2007 and 2009. Mancini saying, “Playing with the ball on the ground is part of their DNA. This has always involved lots of touches, and they’re ahead of us in this respect. Two teams that play good football will be facing each other, it’ll be an entertaining match. What are our chances of making the final? 50%.”
Mancini saying, “It’ll be a difficult match, just like it was against Belgium, even if the two sides have a different playing style. We’ll thus have to prepare for other difficulties. Spain are an extraordinary team with an excellent coach.” Mancini admitted that there is some tension, but “that’s the beauty of these challenges”.
On the lack of Italia fans from Italy, Mancini commented, “It’s better to play in front of a full stadium rather than a few because, like any show, that’s the beauty of football. I don’t think it’s right that the crowd won’t consist of a 50/50 split between Italian and Spanish fans.”
Italy have played against Spain in every European Championship since 2008. The challenge for the Azzurri is huge, thirteen years ago, a penalty shootout win in the quarter-finals probably marked a turning point for Spain, who won two European Championships and a World Cup between 2008 and 2012. In 2012, Spain was stronger than Italy following a semi-final triumph over Germany. Five years ago, meanwhile, Antonio Conte’s Azzurri got a bit of revenge, eliminating Spain at the round of 16 stage following a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Giorgio Chiellini and Graziano Pellé.
11:00 CEST – Chartered flight Florence – Luton
14:30 (Local time) – Media activities at Wembley stadium
18:00 (Local time) – Training at The Hive (open for the first 15 minutes
On Leonardo Spinazzola’s injury means that Mancini will have to make at least one change to the side that overcame Belgium in Munich on Friday, but everyone has shown that they play an important role. This also applies to Ciro Immobile, who, after scoring against Turkey and Switzerland, was criticized for his performance against Belgium: “This is a player who won the Golden Shoe and one of the strikers that has scored the most goals in the past few years. In competitions like this, those who are criticized often make the difference in a game or the tournament. This is why we’re quite calm about it.”
A historical moment will be alsofor Leonardo Bonucci in case of playing, he will equal Gigi Buffon’s record of 17 European Championship appearances. “It will be an open match. We’ll have to be careful of their counter-attacks considering the quality players they have up top. When you play against such a strong national team, on a mental level there can be pitfalls, but if we’re the same Italy as the last thirty games we’ll be very happy tomorrow. When you get to a semi-final, there are no favourites: you have to put aside what has happened so far. Playing against Spain must be an incentive, and the hope is we’ll come back to Wembley again.”
Like five years ago at the Euros in France, on Friday in Munich the Bonucci-Chiellini duo managed to keep quiet one of the strongest forwards in the world, Romelu Lukaku, with their usual cohesion: “I haven’t played with Chiellini a lot in the last two seasons because of the pandemic and injuries, but it’s clear that when we do play together, given how well we know each other, everything comes naturally. Together, we’re able to share our duties, such as leadership and helping the team. This allows us both to give our best in every game.”
Big challenge for Juventus players. Yep! Precisely, Tomorrow, the Azurri with most appearances in the squad, Chiellini (110) and Bonucci (107), will be playing against their teammate in Juventus forward Alvaro Morata, who was the victim of serious threats from the public following missed chances against Poland and Slovakia: “Alvaro is first and foremost a friend, we are often together in Turin. I was struck by what he suffered like everyone else, I also know what it feels like to hear such things. I’m close to him, he is a great person and a great father, one of the best strikers in the world and fortunately I have him in my team during the season. Tomorrow, we will need to pay maximum attention to him and to the whole of the Spain team.”
UEFA Euro 2020
Semifinals
Italy – Spain
Tuesday 6 July 2021
Wembley Stadium
London, England, UK
21:00
Referee: Felix Brych (GER)
Assistant Referee 1: Mark Borsch (GER)
Assistant Referee 2: Stefan Lupp (GER)
Fourth Official: Sergei Karasev (RUS)
Reserve AR: Igor Demeshko (RUS)
VAR: Marco Fritz (GER)
AVAR 1: Christian Dingert (GER)
AVAR 2: Christian Gittelmann (GER)
AVAR 3: Bastian Dankert (GER)
Referee Observer: Hugh Dallas (SCO)
The Italian team back to London for the UEFA Euro 2020 Semifinal against Spain to be played on Tuesday 6 July 2021 at Wembley. The Azzurri arriving in London on Monday 5 July.
11:00 CEST – Chartered flight Florence – Luton
14:30 (Local time) – Media activities at Wembley stadium
18:00 (Local time) – Training at The Hive (open for the first 15 minutes)
Good morning, my friends! Here are the front pages from the Italian newspapers La Gazzetta dello Sport, Corriere dello Sport, and Tutto Sport, Monday 5 July 2021.
La Gazzetta dello Sport, Front Page, Monday 5 July 2021.
Front Page La Gazzetta dello Sport, Monday 5 July
👉Mancini and the anti Spain magic lamp
Final wish
Insigne, Verratti, Barella: geniuses for Wembley
👉The super midfield, aggressiveness and speed are our weapons
By Anna Italia
Italy – Spain 
UEFA Euro 2020
