ROBERTO MANCINI

Italy will have to go through the playoffs once again in its bid to reach the World Cup.

APTOPIX Britain England Italy Euro 2020 Soccer Italy fans celebrate in Piccadilly Circus in central London after their team won the UEFA Euro 2020 Final against England, Sunday July 11, 2021. "Grazie Azzurri,” read a banner on the tarmac — a sentiment felt across the country after Italy took home its first major trophy since the 2006 World Cup. A cacophony of honking cars, fireworks and singing fans filled the night in Rome as thousands of people took to the streets. “Thanks to Eurovision and thanks to this game and soccer we’ve managed to come back this year,” he said. “We really love this country.”His 13-year-old son Yankho, an Italy fan and young soccer player, was impressed by the team.

APTOPIX Britain England Italy Euro 2020 Soccer Italy fans celebrate in Piccadilly Circus in central London after their team won the UEFA Euro 2020 Final against England, Sunday July 11, 2021. “Grazie Azzurri,” read a banner on the tarmac — a sentiment felt across the country after Italy took home its first major trophy since the 2006 World Cup. A cacophony of honking cars, fireworks and singing fans filled the night in Rome as thousands of people took to the streets. “Thanks to Eurovision and thanks to this game and soccer we’ve managed to come back this year,” he said. “We really love this country.”His 13-year-old son Yankho, an Italy fan and young soccer player, was impressed by the team.

Europe's soccer champions have returned home to the ecstatic cheers of Italians.

Italian soccer’s redemption story is complete.

The European Championship final between Italy and England at Wembley Stadium on Sunday has all the makings of a tight and tense title match.

Jorginho converted the decisive penalty kick to give Italy a 4-2 shootout win over Spain and a spot in the European Championship final.

It’s a match between teams who have almost forgotten what it feels like to lose.

Substitutes Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina scored in extra time to help Italy beat Austria 2-1 and advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship.

APTOPIX Italy Wales Euro 2020 Soccer Italy's Matteo Pessina, foreground, scores his side's opening goal during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group A match between Italy and Wales at the Stadio Olimpico stadium in Rome, Sunday, June 20, 2021. Well, it turns out that the genesis of Roberto Mancini's new-look squad at the European Championship came right in Italy's backyard. Teams like Atalanta, Sassuolo and even Napoli have adopted the more offensive styles seen around Europe in recent seasons. So, really, it's no wonder why the Sassuolo tandem of Manuel Locatelli and Domenico Berardi plus Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina have been the breakout stars of Italy's perfect run through the group phase at Euro 2020. "There's a lot of (Gasperini) in this," Pessina said after scoring in Italy's 1-0 win over Wales on Sunday.

Italy's transformation from a team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup into an attack-minded juggernaut can be traced back to Serie A teams like Atalanta and Sassuolo.

Italy Wales Euro 2020 Soccer Italy's Matteo Pessina celebrates after scoring his side's opening goal during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group A match between Italy and Wales at the Stadio Olimpico stadium in Rome, Sunday, June 20, 2021. (Alberto Lingria/Pool via AP) (Alberto Lingria)ROME — (AP) — Italy’s reserves really do play as well as its starters. Wales came second with four points and qualified for the last 16 at only its second European Championship. He earned the spot by scoring his first two goals for the national team in a Euro 2020 warmup match against San Marino. Italy produced 23 scoring attempts to Wales’ three, held 64% of the possession and completed 553 passes to Wales’ 209.

Italy matched a team-record 30-match unbeaten streak by beating Wales 1-0 at the European Championship.

Manuel Locatelli is finally living up to his promise as Italy's next great midfielder.

APTOPIX Italy Switzerland Euro 2020 Soccer Italy players celebrate their second goal during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group A match between Italy and Switzerland at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Italy, Wednesday, June 16, 2021. Midfielder Manuel Locatelli scored two goals Wednesday and the Azzurri beat Switzerland 3-0 to become the first team to reach the last 16 at Euro 2020, and they did it with a game to spare. “I’m fortunate to have great players who enjoy playing soccer, like to have fun and take some risks — which is the essence of soccer,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said. Italy leads Group A with a six points after overwhelming Turkey 3-0 in the tournament opener. In the final group games, Italy remains in Rome to face Wales while Switzerland returns to Baku to face Turkey.

Manuel Locatelli scored two goals and Italy beat Switzerland 3-0 to advance to the last 16 of the European Championship with a game to spare.

Italy Turkey Euro 2020 Soccer Italy's manager Roberto Mancini gives instructions from the side line during the Euro 2020 soccer championship group A match between Italy and Turkey at the Olympic stadium in Rome, Friday, June 11, 2021. (Alberto Lingria/Pool Photo via AP) (Alberto Lingria)ROME — (AP) — For months, Italy’s players have been repeating the same mantra: “Our strength is in the group. Shedding Italy’s “catenaccio” (lockdown defense) past, he wants his team to attack constantly and “put on a show.”In 82 matches under Mancini, Italy has scored 33 goals for an average of nearly 2.5 per game. He now has five goals in his last six matches for Italy, erasing the memory of his two-year scoreless stretch between 2017 and 2019. More goals are expected in Italy's next Group A match against Switzerland on Wednesday.

Roberto Mancini has turned Italy around after the Azzurri failed to qualify for the last World Cup.

Italy waited a long time for this European Championship to start and then showed just how eager the team was to play the tournament opener.

The European Championship will be played in Italy, the first country outside Asia to get struck by the pandemic.

The European Championship will kick off in Italy, the first country outside Asia to be struck hard by the pandemic.

Italy Turkey Euro 2020 Soccer A view of the stadium prior to an Italian national team training session ahead of Friday's Euro 2020, group A soccer match against Turkey, at the Rome Olympic stadium, Thursday, June 10, 2021. The tournament was postponed last March when countries were scrambling to contain virus outbreaks and major sporting events around the world were canceled or put on hold. If everything goes smoothly, Euro 2020 can give a confidence boost for other major sporting events, like the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to open on July 23 — also a year late. Spain captain Sergio Busquets tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss the team’s first match against Sweden in Seville on Monday. In Rome and elsewhere in Italy, most virus restrictions have been lifted.

The biggest sporting event since the coronavirus brought the world to a halt has kicked off at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Italy will play Turkey in the opening game of the European Championship on Friday.

The European Championship is the first major international soccer tournament to take place since the coronavirus outbreak and arrives at the end of the most condensed club season in history.

(AP Photo/Francisco Seco)ROME – Three years after an embarrassing failure to qualify for the World Cup, Italy is back in contention with the best in Europe. England, meanwhile, is already out of contention for the Nations League finals with one round of matches still to play. In all, more than 20 Italy players were unavailable due to the virus and injury. Jorginho converted a penalty for Italy midway through the first half after Andrea Belotti was brought down inside the area. WINNING WALESWales is the only unbeaten team in League B following a 1-0 win over Ireland, courtesy of David Brooks’ second-half header.

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:___The Green Bay Packers placed linebacker Krys Barnes and reserve quarterback Jordan Love on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The list is for a player who has tested positive or has been in close contact with an infected person. The Bears canceled practice and closed their facility Thursday after another player tested positive. ___The Atlanta Falcons canceled practice and worked virtually Friday after a member of the football staff tested positive for COVID-19. “The whole reason we’re doing it is to get guys to the game,” coach Raheem Morris said.

(AP Photo/Peter Dejong)ROME Edin Dekos goal helped Bosnia-Herzegovina hold Italy to a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Nations League on Friday, ending the Azzurris record winning streak at 11. I was right yesterday when I said neither Bosnia nor Italy were 100% fit, Deko said. Two minutes later, Deko had time following a corner to let the ball bounce before scoring from six meters (yards). The last match Italy failed to win was a scoreless draw with Portugal in November 2018 -- also in the Nations League. The winning streak had to end sooner or later, Italy coach Roberto Mancini said.