Wuppertal: Italy begin their European Championship defense against Albania as the new team tries to rebuild its reputation as one of the world’s most important football nations.
Italy’s Luciano Spalletti hosts Albania in Dortmund, while Spain and Croatia are also present.
The last two games are crucial on Saturday as the four best third-placed teams from the six groups advance to the knockout stages, and a win against Albania would give Italy a huge chance to advance.
Despite having Gianluigi Buffon, the Azzurri skipper and four-time World Cup winner, head the delegation, Italy entered the tournament with relaxed confidence.
Buffon was one of the stars when Italy won the World Cup in Germany in 2006, when the golden generation including Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo and Fabio Cannavaro led his country to one of football’s greatest triumphs.
Since then, the national team has suffered an identity crisis, unsure of its place in the global game, and not as fearless as it has been in decades past.
Italy may be champions, but they have missed out on the World Cup for the second time since winning the last Euro three years ago.
Qualifying for this summer’s Euros, which begins on Friday, was complicated by Spalletti’s predecessor Roberto Mancini jumping ship to Saudi Arabia in August last year.
