0-2.

Froiler's shot pierced Donnarumma's fingertips, and Barca's excellent shot humiliated the defending champions' defense. The frozen score at the Berlin Olympic Stadium is very eye-catching for Italian fans. It's not the Azzurri who win the game, but the passionate Swiss celebrating.

On the sidelines, Maldini's face was serious, while Buffon's eyes revealed helplessness. They were the blue heroes on this pitch 18 years ago, unable to smile in the face of their successors' poor performance.

At the place where they won the World Cup 18 years ago, Italy's journey in the European Championship came to an abrupt end. The discussion about Italy's "talent decline" in football continues, and perhaps all of this has long been foreshadowed.

01 The Runaway Defending Champions

"England is strong, Italy is weak" has always been a famous illusion in the football world, but Italy's performance in this European Championship is indeed "weak", with them always conceding the first goal in all four matches.

In the opening match against Albania, Italy became the backdrop for the fastest goal in European Championship history within 23 seconds, and although they turned the game around in 15 minutes, the overall performance of the Azzurri was lackluster. The passing statistics looked good, but it was more like a torturous lullaby.

In the second match against their long-time rival Spain, Italy's performance was even more surprising. The clash between the giants turned into a one-sided affair. On the surface, Italy "narrowly lost" 0-1 due to Calafiori's own goal, but behind it was Donnarumma's eight high saves. The outstanding goalkeeper became the last fig leaf for the Azzurri.

In the final group stage match against Croatia, Italy once again conceded the first goal, and the problem of lack of scoring ability persisted, until Zaccagni's magical equalizer in the dying seconds. Looking at the group stage situation, if it weren't for Zaccagni's golden equalizer, the Azzurri would have been sent home after the group stage.

With the departure of the reigning champion coach due to disagreements with the football association, and the disintegration of the championship framework from three years ago, manager Mancini still lacked clear tactics by the time the tournament arrived, and the reserve of top stars was far behind other powerhouses. Under multiple factors, even authoritative media declared Italy as "mediocre defending champions", and expectations for them in the knockout stage have dropped to freezing point.

However, on this night in Berlin, Italy still lowered people's expectations to a new low. With a shot ratio of 1-10 in the first half, they stubbornly turned the Swiss into Spain. Even when 0-2 behind, the Azzurri lacked the will to fight for survival, with very few attempts to pass forward. In this way, it is not surprising that they were eliminated.

02 The Decline of Strikers, a Prelude to Failure

"The decline of Italian talents" has been a topic of discussion surrounding the Azzurri since the 2010 World Cup. If we narrow it down further, the "decline of strikers" has plagued Italy for a long time.

When talking about Italian forwards, old fans always fondly mention the likes of Inzaghi and Vieri. At that time, Serie A was still in its heyday, producing many stars. They not only had good looks but also had distinctive and charming characteristics. However, at some point, Italy's forward line gradually became ordinary.

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 much less glamorous than the one that won the championship in 2006. In the 2012 European Championship, there was Balotelli, a genius who became a top player, but Italy's forward line quickly became mediocre. Starting from 2014, Immobile became the main striker for the national team, and for the next decade, this Blue Eagle shooter was the go-to choice for Italy's forward line.

In the 2016 European Championship, the veteran Pellè carried Italy's forward line and it was probably the last time the Azzurri's strikers shone in a major tournament. Conte's Italian artillery bewildered Belgium and Spain, but it ultimately became a swansong. The lack of scoring ability then became a major problem for Italy, leading to their failure to qualify for the World Cup in two consecutive editions.

Of course, there are exceptions in the process of deepening the misconception that "Italy is weak." The champion team built by Mancini is a good example. Although the Azzurri were not considered favorites to win the title, their "blue dream" was a sight to behold. Italy, known for its chain defense, even played exhilarating attacking football.

However, it is important to note that Italy's European Championship victory was not attributed to a powerful striker, but to a team effort. Italy's triumph was made possible by the "great Italian left-back," the breakthrough performances of Chiesa and Verratti, the midfield triangle of Jorginho, Barella, and Verratti, and the still active defensive duo of "the two ghosts of darkness". None of these can be missed.

Therefore, it can be said that three years ago, Italy's dominance in Europe was more like a fluke, or even a "victory of the commoners." It did not fundamentally change the reality of Italy's striker talent decline. If it weren't for Immobile's declining performance at the club level, he might have once again become the mainstay of the Azzurri's forward line. Without a competent general, Liao Hua played as the vanguard. The inevitable result is sitting and waiting for death, sooner or later.

03 The Continuing Tragedy of Apennine

Mancini once gave hope to Italy's football renaissance, but this hope came to an abrupt end with the departure of this championship-winning coach. If failing to qualify for the 2022 World Cup was an accident, then the dismal performance in this European Championship is the result of a perfect storm.

Looking at Italy's squad alone, although it cannot be described as a star-studded lineup, there are still many outstanding players. For example, Vlahovic, Barella, Bastoni, Darmian, and Dimarco all come from Serie A champions Inter Milan, the team that reached the Champions League final last season. Other Italian players are also from top five leagues, with a total market value of 700 million euros, making them almost a top-tier team in the European Championship.

So, what was the result? Italy's performance on the field was disappointing, as if they were a weak team playing football. In this regard, Mancini cannot escape blame. His squad seemed more suitable for a three-defender system, but he ended up using a 4-3-3 formation. As a result, Scamacca, Chiesa, Bernardeschi, Di Lorenzo, and Manchini all played poorly, with their strengths completely suppressed. Such Italy naturally appeared mediocre.

The fact that Mancini complained after being eliminated from the European Championship, that Inter Milan won the league too early and lost their preparation time, is simply unbelievable. Incompetence at the top leads to the downfall of the entire army. The tragedy of Apennine is the result of a talent decline and a man-made disaster. After this shameful night, Italian football is likely to experience another earthquake.

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