Italy has not lost a football game since September 2018-it is an amazing 33 undefeated games, the last game will be played on Wednesday night, Euro 2020 semi-finals.

In 34th place, they will be crowned European champions.

Italy has won the world championship four times, but failed to qualify for the 2018 competition. On Sunday, they will face England or Denmark in the Euro 2020 final.

After the Italian team took over Italy at the lowest ebb, head coach Roberto Mancini ignored expectations after defeating Spain in the Azzurri’s dramatic penalty shootout to reach the final.

Under the leadership of Mancini in the past three years, Italy’s transformation has been extraordinary. They were forced to fight the Spanish team all the way to take the lead with Federico Chiesa’s brilliant goal, but were targeted when Alvaro Morata’s equalizer tied the score to 1-1. He was forced to play overtime before the Azzurri won a 4-2 penalty shootout.

After beating Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in the group stage and scoring 7 consecutive goals, they beat Austria in overtime and then Belgium in the quarter-finals, despite the star left-back Leonardo Spi Nazola lost because of a torn Achilles tendon.

Now they are approaching their second European Championship.

Mancini said: “When you participate in the World Cup or European Championships, the competition will be fierce. There is always a game where you have to go all out to win.” “So far, our progress cannot be smooth sailing.

“We know this is a very difficult game, which is why I think the players and everyone who have worked with us for the past three years are commendable because it is not easy anyway.

“Almost no one believes we can do it, but we made it to the final, so we are happy for Italians everywhere.”

The Italians took to the streets across the country to celebrate, while their 11,000 fans (due to restrictions preventing foreign supporters from traveling to the UK) watched Jorginho score a decisive goal in a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium.

In the 2020 European Cup, they will make their 10th appearance in the finals, including 6 times in the World Cup and 3 times in the last European Championship. [Guglielmo Mangiapane/Reuters]

Italy was in a mess after losing to Sweden in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers, and Mancini had to pick up the mess.

He rebuilt them. In this European Cup, they are almost complete: from the combination of the veteran central defenders of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci to the excellent offensive full-back, by Marco A trio of talented midfielders composed of Villati, Jorginho and Nicolo Barrera, and a line of fire.

Mancini added: “The players want to play a football brand that people like. So far they have done it.”

In the 2020 European Cup, they will make their 10th appearance in the finals, including 6 times in the World Cup and 3 times in the last European Championship.

However, even though they have won the World Cup trophy four times, their only intercontinental victory so far was in a four-team event hosted by the host in 1968.

Since then, there have been two painful final losses in different ways.

In 2000, they were knocked down by the French Golden Ball in overtime in Rotterdam, and in 2012 Spain defeated them 4-0 in Kiev.

10-Italy has now reached their 10th major tournament final (World Cup/Euro)-only Germany (14) has participated in more major tournament finals in European countries than Italy (including the 2020 European Cup). pedigree. #EURO2020 #ITA pic.twitter.com/DlMASt57Cf

-OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 6, 2021

“There is still one step to go, and now we have to rest, because it is really very challenging,” Mancini added. “When you enter the sixth game with all your travel, it really becomes very tiring.”

Italy hopes that the seventh game will be more memorable.

“It’s an incredible dream to play for my country in a game like this, representing 60 million Italians,” Mancini’s old Sampdoria teammate Enrico Chiesa’s son, Juventus Forward Chiesa said.

On Tuesday night, Spaniard Alvaro Morata, who had equalized in the regular time, was stopped by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, and Jorginho hit the home court with a very cool penalty to solve the problem. .

The Azzurri were dangerous in the counterattack, but when they took the lead in the 60th minute, it violated the game. Federico Chiesa received a loose ball and rolled into the far corner brilliantly.

The Spanish team equalized with 10 minutes left in the game, when substitute Morata and Danny Olmo made a neat two-pointer and then went home on the side, but they couldn’t find a winner.

“I just want to congratulate my players. We have proven that we are a team and we will continue to do so,” said Spanish coach Luis Enrique.

Italian players celebrate reaching the final after winning a penalty shootout [Laurence Griffiths/Pool via Reuters]