Federico Dimarco took his time on the sideline, wiping dry the football, glancing from left to right, surveying his options for the throw-in. The Italy left back wanted to make sure he would get it right. Then, he confidently and accurately picked out his desired target, finding a teammate and allowing his nation to go on the attack.
This was in the sixth minute of Italy’s Euro 2024 opener against Albania. Five minutes earlier, he had done none of that. Five minutes earlier, the 26-year-old had single-handedly... No, hang on, no. Five minutes earlier, very much with two hands, he had put his team behind – just 23 seconds into their European title defence.
It was the perfect mistake: a throw-in too shallow for Alessandro Bastoni, who plays with Dimarco at Inter Milan, but who was certainly not on the same page as his clubmate. The centre back had no idea whether to stay or go, to stick or twist. And the ball, complacently hurled into the Italy box by Dimarco, bounced directly into the path of the alert Nedim Bajrami.
Still, there was work to do, and the Albania striker carried it out coldly. Nudging the ball to his right – Bastoni’s left – he created space that the Italian defender simply could not consume quickly enough. Then Bajrami pistoned his right foot, jettisoning the ball abruptly past Gianluigi Donnarumma. Twenty-three seconds earlier in European Championship game time, Donnarumma was pulling off the save that sealed European glory for Italy in London, in 2021.
Here, in Dortmund, he was once again involved in history: conceding the fastest-ever goal at a European Championship. Of course, to talk up Donnarumma’s involvement is to do a drastic disservice to the goalkeeper, as well as Dimarco. Or rather, it is doing Dimarco a service. Either way, it overlooking Bajrami’s defining role.
A few hours earlier, an Albanian fan audaciously broke pasta in front of despairing Italian supporters. Now here was an Albanian striker breaking a record at the expense of despairing Italian players, outdoing Dmitri Kirichenko (44 seconds, Euro 2004, in case you were wondering).
Albania’s squad came to Dortmund, along with thousands and thousands of crimson-clad compatriots, as clear underdogs against Luciano Spalletti’s men. Furthermore, Albania are clear underdogs in a group that also features three-time champions Spain and an accomplished Croatia.
Yet even in the wake of this 2-1 defeat, dealt by Bastoni’s equalising header and Nicolo Barella’s ruthless half-volley, Albania’s confidence will be bolstered, especially with four third-placed teams advancing.
Albania’s clash with Croatia on Wednesday could prove decisive in the long run, with the latter side needing to bounce back from a surprisingly comprehensive 3-0 loss to Spain, which played out in Berlin earlier on Saturday. Albania will enter that tie with a better goal difference than their opponents, and with hopes that Spain can punish Italy in a way that they themselves did not – though they threatened to with Bajrami’s early, early, so very early goal.
Italy, meanwhile, will know they must be sharper from the get-go on Thursday; Spain were out of sight of Croatia by half time, 3-0 up already.
Italy vs Spain will be a rematch of one of the Euro 2020 semi-finals, which Italy of course won, edging past their opponents on penalties after an instant classic. But the Italians won’t want that kind of drama this time around. Nor will they want the drama of the first minute against Albania.
At the delayed Euro 2020, under Roberto Mancini, Italy were professional and ultimately unbeatable, extending an existing undefeated run as they went all the way. Against Albania, they started in amateurish fashion, thanks to Dimarco.
Bastoni could not rescue his fellow defender in that stunning moment, but the 25-year-old went some way to rescuing Dimarco by nodding home Italy’s equaliser. Barella did the rest.
Still, it will take something special in future Euros games and tournaments to strip that moment of its history-making ramifications. It might never be stripped of its hilarity. Sorry, Federico; this is all in good fun. And with three points secured, it might be best to laugh it off.
