England vs Italy: Will Luciano Spalletti reignite Azzurri after Roberto Mancini walked away?
The last time Italy played at Wembley, we watched Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli embrace as Italy defeated England to win the European Championship in 2021.
It was a summer of Italian jubilation, with dancing to the song Notti Magiche as the Azzurri were crowned the best team in Europe.
Two years later, and after missing out on Qatar 2022 there are fears that Italy will somehow contrive to once again be absent from a major tournament. Mancini may have led them to European glory, but the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup brought to the fore the many problems that exist within Italian football.
Mancini was rightfully applauded for believing and investing in youth, handing 57 players their debuts during his tenure. How many of them were worthy of these call-ups was a regularly debated topic, but it has been made abundantly clear that Italy have less quality to pick from these days while youngsters are not being given the space to develop. These problems are only exacerbated when clubs like Milan are focusing more on importing foreign talent than developing homegrown youngsters.
New coach Luciano Spalletti, however, doesn't believe in making excuses. Despite having only a few weeks to prepare for two important Euro 2024 qualifiers after Mancini resigned in August - soon taking up the Saudi Arabia national team job - former Napoli coach Spalletti has made it clear he's grateful for the opportunity to preside over such a talented team with an illustrious history. It was not the time to complain but to work to make the nation proud of their side once again.
Achieving one draw and a win in his opening two games in September, Spalletti has since been forced to play whack-a-mole by dealing with a never-ending list of problems as he settles into his new role. Contending with a heavy list of injuries is one thing, but Italian football is now staring down the barrel of yet another betting scandal that has gripped the nation.
Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali (centre) was one of two players questioned by police on Thursday
On Thursday, at the National Training Centre of Coverciano, prosecutors arrived to inform Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo that they faced an official investigation regarding alleged illegal betting practices. They were permitted to leave and return to their respective clubs as they would not be in the right condition to play these important qualifiers.
Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli had already voluntarily reported himself to the authorities according to his legal representatives and is cooperating with the investigation.
Spalletti is now without another two players he had hoped would help him secure vital results to ensure qualification. Asked about the potential impact of Tonali and Zanioli's absence, the coach refused to complain.
"I hope to see them again as soon as possible, to be able to train them again as soon as possible," he said.
"But the others are equally strong, I have infinite team potential. Let's not look for excuses. Either I win or I am at a lower level than what Italy deserves."
Win they did against Malta, scoring four goals without reply to renew confidence on Saturday evening. Malta coach Michele Marcolini was right when he said: "We Italians have proved many times before that when we are in difficult situations, we react and give the best of ourselves."
Malta couldn't provide a truly stern test for the Azzurri, but the match did allow us another glimpse at what Spalletti is trying to achieve with his Italy. Both against Ukraine and against Malta, at least in the second half, Spalletti has made it clear he wants a ferocious team who are continuously running, pressing and dominating the ball. "From what we see across Europe today, those who control the ball more tend to win more often," he said.
The problem the Azzurri had under Mancini, especially in his final year, was that the quality of the football was diminishing, and the lack of a great striker became a problem Italy could not overcome.
Spalletti wants to push the players even harder, challenging them to explore the creativity within to play "free football" with "personality" and fluidity.
By enhancing the quality of their overall play, everyone will be put into a scoring position, making them less reliant on individuals.
Bonaventura (left), at 34 years and 53 days, became the oldest player to score their first goal for Italy during the win against Malta on Saturday
An emphasis on better technique and the insistence of courage on the ball has seen the likes of Giacomo Bonaventura, Fiorentina's 34-year-old playmaker, welcomed back into the fold, three years after his last call-up. Spalletti has a clear idea of who he feels can best express his footballing philosophy and Bonaventura, who has been in fine form for his club, repaid the faith by scoring the opening goal against Malta and demonstrating his incredible technique in doing so.
However, good football will not be enough. The team must mature and show the right character to recapture former glories.
"This is a game, but it requires a lot of seriousness and professionality," said Spalletti, who then referenced the New Zealand rugby union team's culture.
No excuses, no complaining, the team comes first, this family comes first. Humility, adaptability and hard work can help the squad push on. This is the message from Spalletti.
England on Tuesday evening will provide a far sterner test than Malta posed, and Spalletti is curious to see how his boys will fare. Italy accept they may not yet be at the same level as Gareth Southgate's men, but Spalletti is eager to go toe to toe with them and impose the Azzurri's game to gain a clearer picture of the scope of work. What is Italy's real level and how good/bad are they?
England top the group and for good reason. A team of great champions, no-one is more breathtaking than Jude Bellingham.
"It cannot be denied that the attacking midfielder, playmaker or phenomenon of Ancelotti and Southgate is the strongest in the world today," wrote Gazzetta dello Sport.
Italian football has yet to recover from the Englishman's performance for Real Madrid against Napoli. Bellingham, especially under Ancelotti, is a sight to behold. Stopping him from punishing Italy will be the priority and Spalletti will be hoping to do that by forcing him to defend rather than allowing him to attack.
Can they manage it? We are eager to find out if this is the start of a long journey or if Italy are closer than we think to being a team to believe in.
