Italy were comfortably beaten by Switzerland in the Euro 2024 last 16 (Image: Getty)
Luciano Spalletti was left scrambling to save his job after Switzerland battered his Italy side in Berlin. The Azzurri’s European Championship defence went up in smoke with a 2-0 defeat to the Swiss in the round of 16, and Spalletti knows that a serious chat with the chief of the Italian FA, Gabriele Gravina, is just around the corner.
“It is possible for me to build something,” he said. “But it takes a little more time. I didn't have a lot of it. In terms of responsibility, that always lies with the coach, I made the choices. Gravina? He has always behaved like a serious professional with me and we will see what he has to say."
Italy went into Euro 2024’s first knockout clash as favourites but failed to land a glove on Switzerland and finished the match with just one shot on target. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma said that he and his team-mates lacked courage on Saturday night.
“It hurts, it hurts so bad,” said the Paris Saint-Germain stopper. “We apologise to everyone. Today we disappointed people and Switzerland deserved it.
“We lost too many balls, we left too much space, we didn't press well. It won't be easy to digest but we have to accept it. Everything was missing - courage, quality.”
Ruben Vargas was Switzerland's Man of the Match against Italy (Image: Getty)
Ruben Vargas was the star of the show as he set up Remo Freuler’s opener and bent Switzerland’s second goal into the top corner himself. Murat Yakin’s side now have an anxious wait to discover whether they will face England or Slovakia in the quarter-finals.
Buzzing from a big victory, Swiss forward Breel Embolo said: “We deserved to win against a difficult team. We were compact and we created chances. We played really well and scored at the right moment. I am really proud of the team, the staff and happy for the whole country."
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Providing England get past Slovakia in Gelsenkirchen, Yakin's Switzerland will pose a stern test for them in the quarter-finals. The Three Lions were underwhelming in the group stages, during which they failed to beat Denmark and Slovenia.
But having won Group C, Gareth Southgate's team have landed themselves on the easier side of the draw. England can't face tournament heavyweights France, Germany, Portugal or Spain until the final, assuming they don't slip up before then.
