A miniseries in 4 episodes, on air from 7 to 10 June on Rai1 at 20:45 CEST, narrating the path of the Azzurri towards the European Championships – this was the show that premiered today at the Federal Technical Centre at Coverciano, co-made by RAI and FIGC. At the premiere, from RAI, there was President Marcello Foa, as well as Rai1 Director Stefano Coletta, RaiSport Director Auro Bulbarelli, Fabrizio Salini and New Formats Director Pierluigi Colantoni. Accompanying them, and doing the honours, was the President of the FIGC, Gabriele Gravina, along with Head Coach Roberto Mancini and the Delegation Chief Gianluca Vialli.

With ‘The Azzurri Dream’, for the first time in the long and successful history of the National Team, the public will have the opportunity to: enter Coverciano and follow the players from their arrival to the meetings between staff and team during training and in moments of relaxation; travel with the Azzurri during the trips; be there ‘live’ alongside them in the locker room before the game, on the field and in the stands during and after the game, and discover the people who contribute to the achievement of sporting results, through the themes and values of sport, showing human relationships, courage, fear and redemption. ‘The Azzurri Dream’ is the first project signed by the newly created Rai subdivision focusing on New Formats, which follows a ten-month journey starting in September 2020 and will continue until the night before the European Championship opening match scheduled for 11 June. This marks further exclusive Rai content, in addition to their investment in broadcasting the UEFA EURO 2020 matches.

‘The Azzurri Dream’ is not only a tale of sports, but also a human one, made up of many stories. Like the great friendship that unites Coach Roberto Mancini and his staff, made up of lifelong companions such as Gianluca Vialli and the other "boys" from his Sampdoria team. And the rivalry between players from different clubs is overcome on the basis of the bonds that are born in the National Team. The stories also include those that do not always have a happy ending, as happens when a footballer is forced out by an injury or an unforeseen event, missing the opportunity of a lifetime. And then, some players’ habits and superstitions, as well as showing the secrets and curiosities of the modern game, such as increasingly present new technologies. And so, when Italy takes the field to face Turkey in the opening match of UEFA EURO 2020, the audience have got to know better the players, stories, emotions and people who are about to give life to a new Azzurro Dream.

The filming of the miniseries will be completed close to start of the European Championships (Creative Direction production), and the show strengthens the collaboration between RAI and the FIGC, who are both increasingly committed to the development of joint editorial initiatives for the promotion and distribution of the sport’s values and social implications. Their relationship has now lasted for almost a century (the first radio commentary of Italy vs. Hungary was broadcasted on 25 March 1928 with Giuseppe Sabelli Fioretti) and today, after 20 World Championships and 15 European Championships broadcasted in Italy by RAI, the company allows Italians to follow all the National Teams, from the Azzurri to the Azzurre, from the Under 21 to the youth teams, from futsal to beach soccer, all whilst sharing those values of respect, fair play and inclusion that are typical of the Public Service and the Italian Football Federation. On this subject matter, among other things, in November a commercial was broadcasted on RAI networks and on RaiPlay with the players of the National Team, as well as Gianluca Vialli and Lele Oriali, together with Amadeus, for the promotion of Sanremo 2021, consequently linking the great story of Italian football to the greatest musical show our country has to offer.

The story focuses, of course, on the Italian National Team, which Coach Roberto Mancini, after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, has restored enthusiasm in and got the right results out of them. This can be seen from not only the 11 consecutive wins between 2018 and 2019 (which surpassed Vittorio Pozzo's record of 9 victories in a row between 1938 and 1939), but also qualifying for the European Championship with 3 matches in advance, and qualifying for UEFA Nations League Final Four, which will also be exclusive to RAI and is scheduled for October 2021. The miniseries is also an opportunity to recall the National Team’s history, thanks to RAI's vast historical archive, which serves as a backdrop to the images and comments of yesterday’s and today’s main players, launching the viewer into the excitement of the European Championship. There is also space to tell the story of some of the players and Head Coaches who have helped write Italian football history, such as Gianluigi Buffon, who holds the record for the most National Team matches played (176), and Marcello Lippi, Arrigo Sacchi and Antonio Conte, who have all led the Azzurri in great competitions from the 90s up until recently. The series also includes the Rai Sport journalists who have closely reported on the National Team over the years.

To download the video ‘The Azzurri Dream’ click here