Luciano Spalletti’s Italy come into this EURO 2024 tournament as reigning champions, but far from favourites. Much has changed in the Azzurri camp since the COVID pandemic-delayed EURO 2020 tournament three years ago, not only the manager but also the loss of established on-the-field leaders such as Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci and Marco Verratti meaning a new look and a new approach to tournament football, as well as new potential players to watch as the tournament progresses.
Qualification was far from a breeze for the Italians, finishing second six points behind group winners England and level with Ukraine, a 0-0 draw in the final qualifier ensuring that they narrowly avoided the playoffs.
Despite the evolution of the squad as well as the tumultuous years since EURO 2020 in which the Azzurri failed to qualify for the Qatar World Cup, it is unwise to bet against a team that all too often saves its very best for the high-pressure environment of a tournament. Let’s look at three players to watch for Italy at EURO 2024.
Three Players To Watch for Italy At Euro 2024
Nicolo Barella
Nicolo Barella has already enjoyed considerable success at club level this season, as a key figure in Inter Milan’s Scudetto win. As with many players, particularly those in his position of central midfield, statistics don’t really do Barella’s contribution justice, two goals and six assists in 37 appearances are the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the metronomic midfielder brings to a team.
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A complete player who can operate both in a deep-lying role and further forward with his trademark boundless energy, Barella will be key if Italy are going to once again defy the odds and go deep into the knockout stages this summer.
Federico Chiesa
Italy’s best player in their triumphant EURO 2020 campaign, the Juventus man was named in the team of the tournament and it was expected that he would kick on to new heights in his career. However, a serious cruciate ligament injury in 2022 kept him out for almost a year and his form hasn’t really recovered since.
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With that being said, a respectable nine goals in 33 Serie A games for a struggling Juventus side that finished 23 points behind Inter has once again alerted European football observers to his considerable talent and versatility. It has strongly been hinted in Italian football circles that Chiesa is set to part ways with I Bianconeri this summer, and what better way to put oneself in the shop window than a strong tournament with your national team?
Gianluca Scamacca
West Ham fans might not believe it, but there is actually a very good striker in Gianluca Scamacca, and his end-of-season form for Atalanta is why he is one of the players to watch for Spaletti’s side.
After being reprimanded by the manager during the qualifying campaign for excessive gaming that kept him and others up all night before the crucial qualifier with Ukraine, the former Sassuolo man got his act together and scored six goals in his team’s final ten Serie A games, as well as five in eight Europa League games as La Dea sensationally triumphed in the Europa League, outclassing Xabi Alonso’s all-conquering Bayer Leverkusen side in the final.
Goals are a concern for Italy this summer. with Ciro Immobile left out of the squad altogether and a dearth of other striking options, Scamacca could hold the key to Italy’s progress.
