Italy head into the 2024 European Championships in Germany this summer aiming to become just the second nation to retain the title, but who will be part of the Azzurri squad?
Spain famously achieved the feat in 2008 and 2012 – the first time any team had lifted the continental title in successive tournaments. The Azzurri defeated England at Wembley Stadium on penalties to win Euro 2020, but things have not gone to plan for them since then.
They failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and made pretty hard work of booking their spot at this summer’s tournament.
Their recent performances have failed to impress the bookmakers, with several teams currently ahead of them in the outright betting.
Italy can be backed at 16/1 to lift the trophy according to the latest Euro 2024 odds, highlighting the size of the task they face this summer.
Coach Luciano Spalletti has some tough decisions to make ahead of the tournament, with several places still up for grabs in his squad. Read on as we look at who Italy will face in Germany, before assessing which players will represent them at the tournament this summer.
Italy – Euro 2024 Fixtures – Group B
Italy have landed in a tricky opening group alongside Spain, Croatia and Albania, but will back themselves to progress to the knockout stage.
Spain are one of the favourites to win the tournament, while Croatia have the talent to beat any of the top ranked teams on their day.
Albania finished top of their qualifying group ahead of Czechia and Poland, and it would be foolish to underestimate their chances of upsetting the odds in this group.
- vs Albania – June 15.
- vs Spain – June 20.
- vs Croatia – June 24.
Goalkeepers
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham Hotspur), Alex Meret (Napoli).
Donnarumma was Italy’s hero at Euro 2020, producing a series of stellar performances to become the first goalkeeper to win the Player of the Tournament award.
The 25-year-old will be an undisputed starter this summer and must be at his best if Italy are to have any chance of retaining the title.
Meret and Vicario look set to serve as Donnarumma’s understudies in Germany despite having just four caps between them.
Marco Carnesecchi (Atalanta) and Ivan Provedel (Lazio) have yet to make their international debuts but are in line for a call-up if anything happens to Italy’s top goalies.
Defenders
Francesco Acerbi (Inter), Federico Dimarco (Inter), Alessandro Bastoni (Inter), Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino), Raoul Bellanova (Torino), Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli), Giorgio Scalvini (Atalanta), Matteo Darmian (Inter).
Inter players will unsurprisingly feature heavily at the back for Italy following their impressive form for the Serie A champions-elect this season.
Acerbi, Dimarco and Bastoni are all strong contenders to start, which will give Spalletti’s side a strong platform to build from this summer.
Di Lorenzo is also in line to feature heavily, while Buongiorno and Scalvini add further depth to Italy’s defensive options this summer.
Andrea Cambiaso is pushing for inclusion, especially after Destiny Udogie’s injury, but Inter’s Matteo Darmian is favourite as he can also play as a centre-back.
Midfield
Jorginho (Arsenal), Davide Frattesi (Inter), Giacomo Bonaventura (Fiorentina), Manuel Locatelli (Juventus), Bryan Cristante (Roma), Nicolo Barella (Inter), Lorenzo Pelligrini (Roma).
Italy are blessed with plenty of options in midfield including Barella, who will carry the weight of creative expectations on his shoulders in Germany.
Jorginho and Locatelli will battle for a starting role as the midfield anchor, while Pelligrini’s versatility should see him feature regularly in the starting XI.
Bonaventura is also another player Spalletti will rely on this summer, while Frattesi will be given opportunities to showcase his talent this summer.
Monza pair Andrea Colpani and Matteo Pessina are pushing to be included, but they will probably be overlooked by Spalletti.
Forwards
Federico Chiesa (Juventus), Giacomo Raspadori (Napoli), Mateo Retegui (Genoa), Gianluca Scamacca (Atalanta), Nicolò Zaniolo (Aston Villa).
While Italy have plenty of options to choose from in other areas of the pitch, the same cannot be said for their attack.
The Azzurri’s lack of a world-class number nine could be the key factor in preventing them from defending the title this summer.
However, Mateo Retegui seems their biggest hope after netting four goals in six appearances, while Gianluca Scamacca is finishing the season on a high note and is battling to be included in the squad.
The pressure will be on winger Chiesa to recapture his Euro 2024 form, but even that may not be enough to help Italy emerge victorious this summer.