A glorious past, a gloomy present but a bright future. This sentence here sums up Italy’s national team perfectly. The Azzurri are a team that needs no introduction in the footballing world. From its distinguished players, to their famed ‘Catenaccio’ system and the four World Cups won. It is a team that was revered until the ill-fated spell of Gian Piero Ventura which saw the country reach a new nadir as they missed out on the 2018 World Cup.
Unlike Singapore this nation isn’t used to watching the tournament at home. If Singapore’s football fans are demanding, Italy’s are unrealistic as they believe success for their team is a given.