2-0。

Freyler's shot pierced Donnarumma's fingertips and Balgaz's fantastic curling shot humiliated the defense of the defending champions. These numbers on the scoreboard at the Berlin Olympic Stadium were really harsh for the Italian fans. It wasn't the Azzurri who won, but the passionate celebrating Swiss.

On the sideline, Maldini looked serious, and Buffon's eyes revealed a sense of helplessness. They were the blue heroes on this field 18 years ago, unable to smile at the poor performance of their successors.

The journey of Italian football in the European Championship came to a halt at the place where they won the World Cup 18 years ago. The discussion about the "decline of Italian talent" continues, and perhaps all of this has already laid the groundwork.

01 The Worst Defending Champion

"England is strong, Italy is weak" has always been a famous misconception in football, but Italy's performance in this European Championship has indeed been "weak". They were the team that conceded the first goal in all four matches.

In the opening match of the group stage against Albania, Italy became the backdrop for the fastest goal in the history of the European Championship in just 23 seconds. Although they quickly turned the tide and reversed the score in 15 minutes, the overall performance of the Azzurri was uninspiring. The passing statistics looked impressive, but it was more of a torturous experience that left people drowsy.

In the second match against Spain, Italy's performance was even more surprising. The highly anticipated clash between the two powerhouses turned into a one-sided affair. On the surface, Italy lost 0-1 due to Kalafiori's own goal, but behind it was Donnarumma's 8 high-quality saves. The excellent goalkeeper became the last fig leaf of the Azzurri.

In the decisive match against Croatia, Italy once again conceded the first goal, and their toothless attack did not change the situation. It was not until the last seconds when Zaccagni scored a brilliant equalizer. Looking at the final standings in the group stage, if it weren't for Zaccagni's golden equalizer, the Azzurri would have been eliminated in the group stage.

The championship-winning coach from a year before the European Championship had a falling out with the FA and left in anger. The framework of the championship three years ago was in disarray, and Spalletti still did not have a clear tactical approach when the tournament arrived. The talent reserve and other powerhouses are far apart—under multiple factors, even authoritative media have labeled Italy as "mediocre defending champions", and the expectations of the outside world for them in the knockout stage have plummeted.

However, on this night in Berlin, Italy still managed to hit a new low. With only one shot on target in the first half compared to Switzerland's ten, they played the Swiss into another Spain. Even when trailing 0-2, the Azzurri did not show enough fighting spirit, with very few forward passes. With such a performance, it is not surprising that they were eliminated.

02 The Decline of Strikers, the Prelude to Failure

The decline of Italian talent—this has been a topic of discussion around the Azzurri since the 2010 World Cup. If we narrow it down a bit more, the "decline of strikers" has been a long-standing issue for Italy.

When talking about Italian strikers, old fans always enjoy reminiscing about the likes of Inzaghi and Vieri. At that time, Serie A was still in its prime, producing plenty of stars, who not only had good looks but also had distinct characteristics that were charming. However, at some point, the Italian attack gradually became mediocre.

For example, in the do-or-die match of the 2010 World Cup, Italy's forward line consisted of Iaquinta, Di Natale, and Simone Pepe, which was far less glamorous compared to when they won the World Cup in 2006. In the 2012 European Championship, there was Balotelli, a genius who became a top player, but the Italian forward line quickly became ordinary again. Starting from 2014, Immobile became the main striker for the national team, and for the next decade, he was the top choice for the Italian attack.

In the 2016 European Championship, the veteran Pelle carried the Italian attack, which was probably the last time the Azzurri's strikers shone in a major tournament. Conte's Italian artillery overwhelmed Belgium and Spain, but it ultimately became a swan song. The lack of firepower has since become a major problem for Italy, and their failure to qualify for the last two World Cups is closely related to this issue.

Of course, there have been exceptions in the process of deepening the misconception that "Italy is weak". One such exception is the champion team built by Mancini. Although the Azzurri broke the unbeaten record in their history before the 2016 European Championship, they were still not considered favorites to win the tournament. In the end, Italy's blue dream underpinning Mancini's leadership was refreshing, and their enterprising attacking football stood out, despite being known for their chain-like defense.

But one thing to note is that Italy's success in the European Championship was not due to a powerful center-forward but rather a team game. Italy's eventual triumph was made possible by the "great Italian left-back", the emergence of Chiesa and Verratti, the midfield trio of Jorginho, Barella, and Verratti, and the still active defensive duo "Gennaro Gattuso and Cannavaro". These components were all essential.

Therefore, it can be said that Italy's triumph three years ago was more of a flash in the pan, and it could even be called a "victory of the commoners". It did not fundamentally change the reality of the decline in Italian strike talent. If it weren't for Immobile's declining performance at the club level, he might have once again become the spearhead of the Azzurri's attack.

When there is no talented general, the ordinary one takes the lead. Finally, the main striker brought by Spalletti to Germany turned out to be Scamacca, who, compared to other powerhouses with a bunch of golden boots, had only a few players in the Italian squad who scored double-digit goals last season. When Italy's defensive counter-attacks had no point of attack, the outcome could only be sitting and waiting for death, sooner or later.

03 The Tragedy of Appiano

Mancini once brought hope of a renaissance of Italian football, but unfortunately, this hope was extinguished with the departure of the championship coach. If missing out on the 2022 World Cup was an accident, then the dismal performance in this European Championship is the result of perfect timing, favorable conditions, and the loss of everything.

Looking at Italy's squad, although they can't be called a galaxy of stars, there are still many excellent players. For example, Vlahovic, Barella, Bastoni, Darmian, and Dimarco all come from Inter Milan, the Serie A champions, and the Nerazzurri were the best team in Serie A who reached the Champions League final last season. Other Italian players also come from the top five leagues, and the total value of the squad is 700 million euros, making it almost a fringe first-rate team in the European Championship.

What is the result? On the field, however, Italy's performance is extremely lackluster, as if a weak team is playing. Spalletti is to blame for this. His squad selection seemed more suitable for a three-man defense, but in the end, he opted for a 4-3-3 formation, which resulted in players like Scamacca, Chiesa, Bernardeschi, Berardi, and Mancini all underperforming, with their strengths completely suppressed. This Italy, of course, appears mediocre.

The Italian team at the 2016 European Championship is a good comparison. The Azzurri were also highly underrated that year, but Conte managed to unleash the team's full potential, defeating world number one Belgium and defending champions Spain until a penalty shootout defeat to Germany in the quarterfinals.

Looking at Spalletti, he even complained after being knocked out of the European Championship that Inter Milan won the Serie A title too early, thus losing the preparation mode. This is simply absurd. Incompetence of one leader leads to the demise of the whole army. The tragedy of Appiano is the result of the decline in talent and a man-made disaster. After this shameful night, Italian football is likely to experience another earthquake.

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