Gianluigi Donnarumma in the role of narrator. In a UEFA-produced video titled “How we qualified”, the Italy goalkeeper, who has played for a record 18 consecutive games in the tournament, answers questions about a qualifying campaign that saw the Azzurri finish top of Group 3.

 

 

Italy are involved in the Nations League finals for the second time. In 2021, after winning a group containing the Netherlands, Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Azzurri finished third: a semi-final loss to Spain in Milan was followed by a 2-1 victory over Belgium in the third place play-off in Turin. This year, after overcoming Hungary, Germany and England to qualify, Mancini’s men are set to meet La Furia Roja again.

In participating in these finals, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands will reach 20 games in the competition, a record. This is because they’ve all qualified for two finals: the Azzurri and La Furia Roja also made it to this stage when Italy were the hosts in 2021, while the Dutch took part in the final tournament in Portugal in 2019.

In three editions of the UNL, all under the leadership of Roberto Mancini, Italy have played 18 games. They’ve won eight, drawn seven and lost three (an average of 1.72 points), scoring 20 and conceding 14 in the process. The most frequent result has been 1-1 (four times, 0-0 on three occasions). The Azzurri have met nine opponents, including Poland, who they’ve encountered four times (two wins and two draws). 62 players have been used, with Pellegrini currently the top scorer (four goals) and Donnarumma having made a record number of appearances (18/18, 1620’) out of all those involved in League A. Jorginho (13), Barella (12) and Chiesa (10) are the Azzurri players who follow the shot-stopper in this regard. Meanwhile, El Shaarawy and Mazzocchi have featured for the least amount of time (1’).

Pellegrini is the player who has been substituted the most (seven times), after which come Barella, Chiesa and Raspadori (five). Kean (six) has made the most substitute appearances, followed by Locatelli and Berardi (four).

Referees from Spain, Serbia and France have taken charge of Italy matches on two occasions, with the Serbian official Jovanovic holding the individual record in this regard (two). Indeed, he was the man in the middle when Mancini’s men faced Belgium in the third place play-off in October 2021 and Germany in the first match of the 2022/23 tournament in June 2022. Tomorrow will be the turn of the Slovenian Vincic, who last refereed Italy in the quarter-finals of the European Championship (a 2-1 victory over the Belgians in Munich).