Lorenzo Insigne has dazzled in attack, Gianluigi Donnarumma has dominated between the goalposts and Giorgio Chiellini has Giorgio Chiellini’d in defence.
But the true star of Italy’s charge to the Euro 2020 final is not a player but a member of their backroom team. And it isn’t Roberto Mancini.
If the name Alberico “Chicco” Evani doesn’t stir anything deep inside your hippocampus, perhaps a description of him will do the trick.
Evani is the dapper chap (in fairness, aren’t they all?) in the powder blue blazer with the coiffured hair, designer glasses and outstanding ‘tache and chin strap combo, who can be seen passing on tactical notes to Italy’s substitutes on the touchline.
Intrigue around this mysterious moustachioed character has increased the further Italy have progressed at Euro 2020. So ahead of Sunday’s final, just who is the man behind those stupendous specs?
Evani, 58, looks as though he should be spending his days nibbling on Cicchetti and sipping macchiatos outside a sophisticated Venetian bar, rather than showing Andrea Belotti where to make his runs by moving some magnets around a tactics board.
But he is, to borrow some UK parlance, a proper football man, dedicating over four decades of his life to the sport. Evani enjoyed a hugely impressive and successful playing career and hasn’t done too badly for himself as a coach either.
Born in Massa, Tuscany, Evani made his name as a left sided defender and midfielder at AC Milan, featuring 393 times in the iconic red and black stripes of the Rossoneri, a total that has him 14th in the club’s all-time appearance charts.
Evani played an important role for Arrigo Sacchi’s all-conquering Milan side which won three Serie A titles and two European Cups in the late 80s and early 90s, lining up alongside a variety of superstars, including Paulo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Jean-Pierre Papin.
Along with Gullit, Evani moved to Sampdoria in 1993, playing alongside Mancini and David Platt in a team managed by Sven Goran-Eriksson. He added a Coppa Italia title to his CV and was selected in Italy’s World Cup squad for USA 1994, a tournament that ended in gut-wrenching circumstances for the boys in blue.
Evani came on as an extra-time substitute in the final at the Rose Bowl and succeeded where Roberto Baggio failed by smashing his penalty down the middle of the goal, rather than skying it over the top of it. Evani played 15 times for his country and retired from playing in 1999 after short spells with Reggiana and Carrarese.
Since then, he’s made his name as coach, initially helping out Milan’s youngsters before managing Italy’s youngsters at various age groups prior to his promotion as Mancini’s assistant in 2018. Gianluca Vialli and Fausto Salsano are other former Samp teammates who form part of Mancini’s inner circle.
Evani may look like a Pixar animated character come to life, but Italy’s exceptional performances at this tournament is testament to his and the other coaches’ training ground methods. And a victory over England on Sunday would allow him to achieve something he was unable to as a player: winning an international tournament.
More from i on Euro 2020
- This has been Sterling’s summer – when the man was finally able to become king
- Fish & chips to fashion tips: What Southgate’s tweets tell us about the England boss
- Why there have been so many own goals – from tiredness to lazy defending
- We need to talk about Jordan Pickford – the unsung hero of this England team
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3k51WI3
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