In the Round of 16 of this European Championship, reigning champion Italy made adjustments to their starting lineup against Switzerland. Jorginho, who had been a regular starter in the group stage, was relegated to the bench by coach Spalletti, replaced by the young midfielder Fagioli, who had only played 9 minutes in the group stage. Spalletti’s decision was likely influenced by Jorginho’s disastrous performances against Switzerland in the past.
In September 2021, during the 5th round of Group C of the World Cup qualifiers, Italy traveled to Switzerland. In the 52nd minute, Italy was awarded a penalty, and Jorginho, who had just led Italy to the European Championship title, stepped up to take the shot. However, his penalty was saved by Swiss goalkeeper Sommer. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, denying Italy the three points. Fast forward to November 2021, in the 9th round of Group C of the World Cup qualifiers, Italy returned home to face Switzerland again. In the 90th minute, Italy earned another penalty with the score at 1-1. Once again, Jorginho stepped up to take the penalty, but this time, he missed the target completely against Sommer. The match ultimately ended in a 1-1 draw. It’s important to note that if Jorginho had scored just one of those penalties and helped Italy defeat Switzerland, they would have qualified for the Qatar World Cup as Group C winners.
With this context in mind, rumors circulated before the Round of 16 match that Spalletti would change the formation and leave Jorginho out of the starting lineup against Switzerland. This move by Spalletti not only conveyed a sense of pre-match fear but also damaged the team’s tactical framework. Most disappointingly, Fagioli, the replacement for Jorginho in the starting lineup, delivered a nightmare performance in the Round of 16.
Firstly, both of Italy’s goals conceded were connected to Fagioli in some way, leaving him with tactical responsibility. Secondly, in terms of data, Fagioli played 86 minutes in the match, but shockingly lost possession 18 times (the most in the match). In other words, Fagioli lost possession once every 5 minutes. For a midfielder, such data is an absolute nightmare. At this moment, one can’t help but wonder if Spalletti regrets his hesitant change of formation.
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