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Agence France-Presse

Italy kick off their European Championship title defence against Albania on Saturday as a new-look team tries to rebuild the reputation of one of the world’s most important football nations.
Luciano Spalletti’s Italy take on Albania in Dortmund in the first of three clashes in a fiendishly difficult Group B, which also contains Spain and Croatia.
And those two later fixtures make Saturday’s game hugely important, as with the four best third-place finishers in the six groups reaching the knockout stages, a win over Albania would give Italy a great chance of going through.
Italy come into the tournament in quietly confident mood, with delegation chief Gianluigi Buffon insisting that the Azzurri are “an underrated team” despite being holders and four-time World Cup winners.




Buffon was one of the stars of the show when Italy won the 2006 World Cup in Germany, when a golden generation of players including Francesco Totti, Alessandro Del Piero, Andrea Pirlo and Fabio Cannavaro took their country to one of its greatest-ever football triumphs.
Since then, the national team has been going through something of an identity crisis, unsure of its position in the global game and no longer feared as in decades past.
Italy might be reigning champions but after winning the last Euros three years ago, they missed out on qualification for a second straight World Cup.
And qualification for this summer’s Euros, which begins on Friday, was complicated by Spalletti’s predecessor Roberto Mancini jumping ship to Saudi Arabia in August last year.
Spalletti has been entrusted to guide his nation out of another bout of deep soul searching and he has done so by casting aside the team that became national heroes by beating England at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final.
“I can see that we have players in the squad who will become future greats. They have the quality,” Federico Chiesa said on Thursday in an interview with UEFA.
“We want to show what we’re made of at the Euros. Let’s see what we can do.”
Juventus forward Chiesa is one of the few graduates of the victory in 2021 still assured of a starting place, alongside Nicolo Barella, assuming he recovers in time from a thigh injury.

Spalletti is also sweating on the fitness of Barella’s Inter Milan teammate Davide Frattesi, who scored Italy’s only goal in Sunday’s encouraging warm-up win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Albania, meanwhile, are taking part in just their second Euros and the Eagles will be swept along by the enthusiasm of their supporters.
Armand Duka, the head of Albania’s football federation, claimed in an interview with Sky that “more than half” of the Westfalenstadion will be taken up by his countrymen.
And with 10 of coach Sylvinho’s squad playing in Italy, there will be plenty of familiar faces for the Azzurri to deal with.
“Italy will be a special match. In Dortmund we will play probably the most important match of our lives,” said Duka.
“We’d be delighted to get out of the group, but we’ll be happy in any case just to have taken part in the Euros.”


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Euro 2024

Euro 2024: crunch time for ‘underrated’ Italy as defence begins against minnows Albania

Italy are sweating on the fitness of several key players, including midfielder Davide Frattesi, who scored the goal in their 1-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in a friendly last weekend. Photo: AFP

Striker Federico Chiesa says the Italian squad have several “future greats” who “have the quality”. Photo: AFP

Euro 2024: Germany get their party going against Scots as France, England aim to gatecrash

Allianz Arena, rebranded as Munich Football Arena for Euro 2024, stages the tournament opener on Friday local time. Photo: AFP

The opening match will see Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay (left) against German star Toni Kroos. Photo: AFP

Germans are hoping for a repeat of the 2006 World Cup, which they also hosted. Photo: AP

French superstar Kylian Mbappe will be eager to make up for a disappointing showing at the last Euros. Photo: AFP

Euro 2024: Italy, unfancied after World Cup, look for repeat of 2021 Wembley triumph

Italy go to Germany as Euros holders but not among the favourites for the tournament. Photo: Reuters

Atalanta’s Gianluca Scamacca impressed as his side finished the campaign with the Europa League. Photo: Xinhua

Euro 2024: captain Harry Kane says England have enough experience to succeed in Germany

Harry Kane says everyone in the England squad “has earned the right to be here”. Photo: EPA

Kane (left) came off midway through the friendly defeat to Iceland but has no issues with his fitness. Photo: Reuters

Portugal put faith in record-breaking Cristiano Ronaldo in search of Euro 2024 glory

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates one of his 128 international goals after scoring in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Iceland last June. Photo: EPA-EFE

Portugal coach Roberto Martinez naming Cristiano Ronaldo as he unveils his Euro 2024 squad last month. Photo: AFP

Bruno Fernandes (right) and Vitinha (centre) play teqball during a Portugal training session. Photo: EPA-EFE

Georgia will rely on star player Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in their debut tournament. Photo: AP

Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick (left) will aim to reproduce his form with German league and cup champions Bayer Leverkusen. Photo: dpa

Euro 2024: three-time winners Spain aiming for glory after difficult period at major tournaments amid federation scandal

Spain have a strong balance of youth and experience heading into Euro 2024. Photo: EPA

Spain’s last major tournament for their men’s team came at Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. Photo: AP

Sport

Football

Holders and four-time world champions are quietly confident despite missing last World Cup and starting in a difficult group with Spain, Croatia


Holders and four-time world champions are quietly confident despite missing out on the last World Cup and starting in a tough group that also includes Spain and Croatia.


Italy

Albania

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Croatia