Over a century of existence: triumphs, failures, titles, eliminations, joys, and sorrows. Paths to glory or regret, decisive moments, turning points, and a common denominator: Italy was always there.
From the 1920 Olympic Games when two goals from Félix Sesúmaga cleared the path to the silver medal, to the penalty shootout in the semi-finals of the last European Championship at Wembley, passing through the World Cup extra time in Boston or the night that opened the Triple Crown at the Prater: the Azzurri consistently appeared at the crossroads for Spain to write its history in one way or another.
In the pre-match of this Nations League semi-final, manager Luis de la Fuente, "as a man of faith" in his own words, appealed to the transcendent meaning of a match that aims to place the national team in its second consecutive final, something never achieved before by any other team.
The FC Twente stadium, with a capacity of 30,000 spectators and a predicted temperature of 23 degrees at the start of the match, will host the semi-final starting at 8:45 PM.
To repeat the victory from two autumns ago at San Siro, the national team presents a perfect blend of youth and experience, with five players seasoned in the previous final four and players adorned with major tournaments in their resumes, such as captain Jordi Alba or a 37-year-old youngster like Jesús Navas, who can become the oldest athlete to represent the national team this Thursday.
Click here to listen to the statements of manager Luis de la Fuente and captain Jordi Alba in the pre-match interview.
Facing them will be the enigmatic squad of Roberto Mancini, today dressed entirely in white, the reigning European champion but absent from the Qatar World Cup, whose irregularity in results intertwines with the overflowing talent of its stars on the field.
It will be, starting at 8:45 PM, live on La1 de TVE and refereed by Slovenian Slavko Vinčic, the fortieth Mediterranean derby of a history that the team wants to continue writing with golden letters this coming Sunday in the final in Rotterdam against Croatia.