Mattia Zaccagni grew up wanting to be like Alessandro Del Piero. How could he not, as an Italian aspiring No 10 who celebrated his 11th birthday in the summer of 2006?
He watched as Del Piero helped the Azzurri to a World Cup final, scoring the second of two goals in the dying moments of extra-time to defeat the hosts Germany. Italy went on to lift the trophy after beating France on penalties.
Zaccagni could scarcely have dreamed back then that he would one day have a chance to recreate Del Piero’s strike while representing Italy at a major tournament in the same country. His goal, too, arrived in the dying seconds of a game. Admittedly, the stakes against Croatia on Monday were lower: Italy fighting only to secure a runners-up spot in Euro 2024’s Group B. Even a loss might not have eliminated them, leaving open the chance of progressing as one of the best third-placed teams.
Even so, Italy’s energy felt desperate as they trailed 1-0 deep into second-half injury time. It was the 98th-minute when the defender Riccardo Calafiori made one final push, driving towards the edge of the D before releasing the ball to his left. Zaccagni, arrowing in from the wing, was further out than Del Piero had been, but the way he opened his body to finish first-time into the far top corner gave a nation flashbacks.
His goal had even sent Italy back to Berlin – the city where they played that final in 2006, and where Switzerland await in the last 16. “I didn’t realise we were down to the last attack of the game,” Zaccagni said after the game. “But Calafiori gave me a perfect ball to hit first-time and I didn’t think twice.”
Shown a replay of Del Piero’s goal from 18 years ago, he could not hold back a grin. “Alex was my idol since forever,” said Zaccagni. “I had his poster in my room when I was little. Before we left for Germany he came to see us at [Italy’s training base at] Coverciano. We had a chance to speak on Instagram since then, too. It was a huge emotion.”
This stage is still new to Zaccagni. Monday’s match was only his seventh appearance for Italy, and brought his first international goal, details that might appear surprising when you consider how productive he has been at Lazio. Successive Italy managers have lamented the scarcity of attacking options available to them, so how could a player who scored 10 times playing mostly off the left wing for the Biancocelesti in 2022-23 not have featured more?When Luciano Spalletti succeeded Roberto Mancini last September, he immediately named Zaccagni in the starting lineup for both his first two games in charge. Injuries limited the player’s opportunities subsequently, but the manager introduced him off the bench during Italy’s unsuccessful pursuit of an equaliser Can it be a turning point? The defending European champions have been a mixed bag at this tournament, bouncing back from a disastrous start to beat Albania before being comprehensively outplayed by Spain. Spalletti changed his 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 against Croatia, as well as removing Federico Chiesa and Gianluca Scamacca from the attack to introduce Mateo Retegui and Giacomo Raspadori.
Some aspects of the team worked well. Calafiori and Alessandro Bastoni had already performed strongly as a centre-back partnership during the first two games but the former looked happier still with the freedom granted to him on the left of a back three. His assist for Zaccagni’s equaliser was almost as impressive as the strike itself. Calafiori said he wanted to make amends for his own goal against Spain.
Italy looked the more threatening team even while seeing less of the ball during the first half against Croatia and had chances to equalise sooner than they did in the second. And yet their keeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, was once again their best player, making three crucial saves before Luka Modric – another player Zaccagni has previously named as an idol – scored Croatia’s goal.
Spalletti was combative at his post-game press conference, responding to an opening question about whether the change of formation had stemmed from a “pact” with players by saying that people chasing dressing room leaks – true or not – undermined the national team. His agitation rose during a monologue about whether there had been a fear of going out.
“Am I afraid? What am I afraid of? If I was afraid then I would come to watch games like you,” Spalletti told the assembled journalists. “I would do what you do. I would do a different job. I would come to watch games. I can afford to buy a ticket. I know enough people now they would give me one for free.”
He reminded his audience that they were the ones who had called this a “Group of Death”, arguing that Italy merited their draw but also that there would have been no shame in losing to a team such as Croatia.
Calafiori had collapsed to the floor at full-time. “I don’t want to think about the next game, which I will be suspended for,” he said – acknowledging the yellow card he collected just moments before the equaliser. “But I am happy we’re in the last 16.”
