Having taken over Italy at their lowest ebb, Roberto Mancini revelled in defying expectations after the Azzurri made it through to the final of Euro 2020 with a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Spain on Tuesday.
Italy’s transformation under Mancini in the last three years has been extraordinary, from a team that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup to one that has gone on a national record of 33 games unbeaten including their Wembley semi-final.
They were made to fight all the way against Spain, taking the lead through Federico Chiesa’s brilliant goal but being pegged back as Alvaro Morata’s equaliser made it 1-1 and forced extra time before the Azzurri prevailed 4-2 on penalties.