Euro 2021 – Italy’s victory – The return of the game and the end of the first: The Euro Revolution?

There are those we did not expect and others we no longer expect. Those we didn’t expect much from and those we never expected. After a month of competition, the Euro delivered a new continental arrangement and at the end of the chaos, only England finally took its place. Favorites exploded in flight, stars got short of breath, and old glories destroyed by years of wandering regain their allure by reinventing themselves (Italy) or by reallocating DNA (Spain). In short, almost nothing happened as planned. We were waiting for Mbappe, De Bruyne and Kimesh, and we had Kiza, Shaw and Mihaly.

Therefore, with the exception of England, the champions of Russia were on their knees. Starting in France, she never took part in her championship after the lesson the Germans gave at the start of the competition. In general, the last two world champions, the European champion, and the 2018 World Cup runner-up did not go beyond eighth place. On the contrary, Italy, the only big-caliber absent in Russia, stepped into the competition in a curious disdain that says all about this football year that has shaken so much certainty (Champion of Lille in France, winner of the Chelsea Champions League, etc.) even if, In the end, only Denmark excelled in terms of its status.

The victory of intentions over control

Like Spain, the Nacional is where it was expected in a few years. The reconstruction was started by Roberto Mancini and Luis Enrique with very young players or less than the criteria set by these two selections, and it really worked. They have one thing in common: the game, La Roja are back to basics carried by the talent of Pedri who has already slipped into Andres Iniesta’s clothing. On the other hand, it is a small revolution for Italy, the nation of Catenaccio, to link its salvation with daring and even, at times, imbalance.

Of course the Donnarumma-Chellini-Bonucci trio mentioned that Nacional never win without a great goalkeeper and a solid hinge. But this time it was more than that. Italy’s victory is the victory of the game reinforced by two great trails of Denmark and Spain. Triumph of intentions over control, nerve over control in a fairly clear reversal of values ​​three years after the coronation of the surgical blues in Moscow.

Unreasonable arc or the world after?

Facing a fleet more formidable by their glow but limited by the ambitions (Portugal) or procrastination (France) of their coach or trapped in their own land by the weight of their past (England), Italy did by means in hand, limited more individually, but reinforced by a coherent game plan. A unified team. After England suffered their calculations in the final, they ended up succumbing to the generosity of Italy who suffered from 8 until penalty shootouts at Wembley but never backed out.

Just like the chaotic track of the European Champions (extra time in eighth place, shots on goal in the first and final half), no one really flew into the debates. Yes, the best team, or the idea we had, ended up flying their flag at Wembley, but will Italy create a dynasty for the years to come? Or is this euro just an unreasonable arc after a year without a tail or a head? The later world has little to do with the world before. Even if Italy starts playing, the 2022 World Cup can surprise us…