They’ve done it. The failures have become finalists. After stretching their unbeaten run to 33 games, Italy head to the Euro 2020 final on Sunday ready to well and truly dispel the horrible memories of their World Cup qualifying exit in 2017, which felt at the time like the end of an era but has actually made way for a brilliant new dawn.
Their semi-final penalty shootout win after a 1-1 draw against Spain at Wembley on Tuesday was not their greatest performance of the tournament by any stretch of the imagination, but Federico Chiesa’s goal, the extra-time showing of grit and the cool heads displayed from the spot typified everything that is great about Roberto Mancini’s side.