Luciano Spalletti wanted his Italy team to make memories against Spain. “We all have our stories we like to share,” he said pre-game. “The players will see when they get to my age; they will need tales of their own to tell. This is a game that could give them one.”
Those players came away with a horror story. Spain obliterated the defending champions, a 1-0 scoreline greatly understating their superiority. Perhaps one day Giovanni Di Lorenzo will get some mileage from recounting the time he was run ragged by a young Nico Williams, and Riccardo Calafiori might laugh about the own goal he scored in his fourth Italy appearance. Right now, their focus will be on changing their fortunes at this tournament.
