He too would have lost his vocal cords. Famous commentator for the Sky Italia channel, historic voice of the Nazionale matches in Italy, Fabio Caressa almost “killed himself”, according to his words, at the time of Mattia Zaccagni’s goal in extremis (97th) against Croatia (1- 1) last Monday, synonymous with qualification for the round of 16. “The miracle of Zaccagni! The miracle of Zaccagni,” he shouts in the first seconds alongside Giuseppe Bergomi, a former defender of the selection who has become his sidekick on the microphone for two decades. Then, suddenly, his voice breaks and dies. The fault was a nasty cough that lasted for a week, and which ultimately prevented him from completing his celebration.
Fortunately for him, the match referee immediately whistled the end of the match. Italy is saved. His voice is relieved. “So now let’s go back to Berlin!“, he exclaims to finish, a nice nod to the victorious epic of the 2006 World Cup, where his “Andiamo a Berlino” (“Let’s go to Berlin!”) after the semi-final against Germany (2-0) was a historic moment. Even if, this time, it will be for a round of 16 against Switzerland, Saturday (6 p.m.), and no longer a World Cup final against France. The fact remains that the miracle is complete: without this goal, Italy would have simply been ejected from the Euro, since it would not even have finished in the four best third-placed teams.
“We would have gone home (…) It would have been the umpteenth tragedy of the selection in recent years. At this time, a new sporting trial against our football would have already begun“, recognized La Gazzetta dello Sport Thursday morning. Mattia Zaccagni not only avoided it. But he also sent his teammates to the lower part of the final table, where only England, which Italy could face in the quarter, acts as a scarecrow. Even if, after three matches, she no longer scares many people.
An open picture that gives hope
Then, in a very hypothetical semi-final, the Nazionale would face one of these four opponents: Turkey/Austria/Netherlands/Romania. Not really favorite nations for the final victory. To find them, you have to switch to the upper part. Where France, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Germany are all placed. On one side, 8 major titles (including 6 for Italy). On the other… 17. “We are in the right part!” exclaimed the Gazette Thursday, referring to an almost “unique” for a selection which showed many limits, whether structural, technical and even characterological. But since the coin fell on the right side, and since the story could (should?) have ended after Croatia, the tifosi now want to believe it and not only that.
“Italy still suffers in the group stage, then they advance, said Marco Materazzi, 2006 world champion, Thursday. If it passes against Switzerland, which will be very difficult because it is always a complicated selection to play, a highway could open. But you shouldn’t think about it, otherwise it would become a very tight path.” “Zaccagni’s goal brought enthusiasm and confidencesaid former striker Filippo Inzaghi, who was in Germany almost twenty years ago. Maybe this is a signal that luck is on our side… I hope this can be a good sign and that the magical story of 2006 can repeat itself“There is still a way to go. But the idea is there.
Everyone is wary of Switzerland, but…
Cautious before the competition, the Italians, for whom a quarter-final seemed more or less the set objective, prefer to remain so at the dawn of a match which looks like a trap against the Swiss neighbor. Proof of this is the experience of the France team in 2021, beaten and eliminated at this stage of the competition after a crazy match (3-3, 4-5 tab). “This team is tough, solid and strongwarned Claudio Gentile, 1982 world champion, at the Journal. It will be hard to beat her (…) But we have greater potential, even if it has not really been expressed yet“A feeling shared by his former teammate Beppe Bergomi, who nevertheless believes that “the weight of history must weigh” in such a meeting.
“So far the selection has been belowacknowledged former international Gianluca Zambrotta. But in the past, she has sometimes managed to gain momentum from the last 16. We must hope that this happens again: we are in the right part of the table and we must take advantage of it like in 2006.“At the time, the Nazionale had first beaten Australia in the round of 16, before defeating Ukraine in the quarter-finals and then, above all, Germany, at home, in the semi-finals.”We saw a highway and we knew how to take advantage of it“, Materazzi recalled.
If the various Totti, Del Piero, Cannavaro, Buffon, Gattuso or Pirlo are no longer there, and this Italy suffers cruelly from a lack of talent at all levels, since only Gianluigi Donnarumma seems today in the world’s top 5 players in his position, the whole Boot seems now to be carried by a new momentum. As if Zaccagni’s saving goal had swept away the pessimism of the group stages to make way for the improbable hope of retaining this European crown. It remains thin? Perhaps. But it at least has the merit of still existing. One minute away…
Matthias Zaccagni
Credit: Getty Images
