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Before the European Championship began, most Italian news outlets weren't too happy with the final 23-men list of players that manager Antonio Conte selected. The absence of veteran Andrea Pirlo or even Mario Balotelli, made everyone feel like they didn't have a competitive side to fight for the title. However, they forgot the small detail of having Antonio Conte as their manager, who is arguably one of the most capable managers in the world today.
And is there were any naysayers who didn't believe this, he has proved that with an organized team you can do great things. His latest great moment was against Spain, his side completely dominated the current European champions and defeated with a convincing 2-0 victory. After this football display, many pundits and former players who didn't believe in the team before the start of the tournament, have now fully backed Conte to reach the final.
Former striker Christian Vieri, compared this performance with the one from the World Cup in 2014 while talking to Gazzetta dello Sport: "It’s like day and night in every sense. It's all him [Conte]. He has charisma, personality, knows what he wants and gets the most out of his players. He is a star when it comes to tactics and he is very prepared. He knows who is running, and anyone who isn't is sent home. That's what he wants and it's right. People are proud of this Italy, I am proud of these 23 players and the coach.
"I'm watching Italy with passion and I see that the players are full of enthusiasm. They are in love with the Azzurri shirt and all the values that it brings. I see a lot of pride amongst the fans on social media and I see a lot of excitement within the team, and they don't hold back on the field. When you play like that, the result isn't as important because winning or losing can happen because of certain incidents."
Vieri also praised 30-year old striker Graziano Pelle, who he think will play at a high level for many years to come despite his age: "Pelle was great against Spain. He played for the team. At times people laud strikers that really only do two or three great things for the team. The other night, Pelle was at the full disposal of the team. It's thanks to him that the entire side played well. He knows how to finish, he's big and he isn't afraid of anyone - even defenders who are big in size. He troubled Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique, two great players. He makes the most of his qualities, and that means he isn't meant to be used to counter."
“You can ask someone like him to continue to grow until he is 35. I say that as someone who was put down for his abilities. I always challenged myself to improve. You can do so at any age."
Photo credit: Italy
