There was a point on Monday night, when Luciano Spalletti was mid-rant, when the thought occurred that the famously awkward Aurelio De Laurentiis might not have been the awkward one in their relationship. Or the most awkward one, anyway. The Napoli president has a reputation as such a difficult character that one club who admired Victor Osimhen could not bear the thought of negotiating with De Laurentiis, so did not pursue their interest in the striker. Meanwhile, Spalletti left Napoli in the glow of a Scudetto when his employer triggered an extension to his contract, rather than discussing an improved one.
It created a path that led to Leipzig, to Spalletti being available to take the Italy job when Roberto Mancini left to accept the Saudi millions. He marked qualification for the knockout phase of Euro 2024, his greatest achievement since securing Napoli’s first Serie A title in 33 years, by lashing out in a press conference. “There is venom coming from all sides, and I inject the venom inside me myself if it doesn’t,” he said at one stage. His venom was such that he then felt the need to call one of his interrogators to apologise. He did it at 2am.
If emotions could run understandably high in the aftermath of a 98th-minute equaliser, Spalletti seems to be seeking to win Euro 2024 one outburst at time; waging war with the Italian press – “I am not envious of someone who writes a lovely flowing piece of prose,” he said at one stage in Leipzig – and creating a one-man siege mentality with the perception everyone wants him to fail. Suffice to say, it is not the approach Gareth Southgate or Roberto Martinez will take. Less the ambassador, more a wizened ball of fury, Spalletti collected a caution for his own celebrations of Mattia Zaccagni’s dramatic goal against Croatia.
It was a late reward for one of his earliest decisions. The Lazio winger was brought out of the international wilderness by Spalletti for his first game in charge. His goal against Croatia has set up a shootout against Switzerland for a quarter-final spot. When club football paused for the 2022 World Cup, Spalletti’s Napoli were arguably the best side in Europe. His Italy have not begun Euro 2024 in the same vein, but there is a path to assume that status.
There are reasons to explain that mixed start; in turn, that prompted some of the criticism of Spalletti. He admitted making a mistake by retaining the 11 starters who beat Albania against Spain; the stories about the changes he would then make against Croatia prompted some of the subsequent breakdown in relations with the media. Spalletti took offence at the suggestions his players talked him into his team selection, objecting to the use of the word “pact”.
A row can be revealing for other elements. If Spalletti is still searching for his finest team, that is understandable. He only took over last summer. He lost Sandro Tonali to a ban for gambling. Nicolo Fagioli has served his, but that rendered him ineligible for matches during the season. He lost defenders Francesco Acerbi and Giorgio Scalvini just before the tournament.
Spalletti has had to adapt and adjust. Riccardo Calafiori, who was uncapped at the start of the month, has emerged as one of the most impressive centre-backs of the group stage. But Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Spalletti’s captain at Napoli, was savaged by Nico Williams in the Spain game. Spalletti switched from a back four to 3-5-2, a formation he played at Empoli and which was the subject of his dissertation at the Italian coaching school at Coverciano.
It illustrated his versatility. He is associated with 4-6-0, with Francesco Totti a false nine for an inventive, attacking Roma side; at Napoli, he prospered with a 4-3-3. Yet Italy do not have forwards of the calibre of Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia; the only man in Spalletti’s squad with a double-figure tally of international goals is midfielder Nicolo Barella. He seems unconvinced by Gianluca Scamacca. Winger Federico Chiesa is yet to recapture his Euro 2020 form. Spalletti argued he finished with six forwards against Croatia. Zaccagni, one of the less heralded, delivered.
Part of Spalletti’s task is to conjure goals from a relatively limited group. It offers parallels with the recent past. Since their triumph in Berlin at the 2006 World Cup, in the last major tournament on German soil, Italy have endured misadventures in World Cups and qualifying alike. But they have excelled in the last three European Championships, each time aided by the tactical acumen of a high-class manager. Roberto Mancini won Euro 2020, aided by a progressive 4-3-3 shape. Cesare Prandelli’s use of a diamond midfield helped them to the final of Euro 2012.
But a more pertinent precedent may be Euro 2016: Then, as now, Italy lacked the calibre of player to make them plausible winners. They nevertheless looked the best-coached team until exiting in a quarter-final penalty shootout defeat. The manager then, Antonio Conte, is now Spalletti’s latest successor at Napoli. For the latest Azzurri manager, the challenge is to produce a similar alchemy, to find a formula from another group without superstars.
Conte, too, is no stranger to outbursts, a manager to see enemies whether or not there are any. Spalletti can seem a stylistic opposite on the pitch: more of a purist, less of a pragmatist. But an aesthete has shown his combative side in a different arena. One of the more fascinating characters in a Euro 2024 dugout, Spalletti has shown his spiky side. Now to see if he can turn Italy into a winning side.
Switzerland v Italy is on BBC One with coverage from 4:30pm on Saturday; kick-off 5pm.
