In a shocking turn of events at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, Switzerland delivered a decisive 2-0 blow to Italy, eliminating the defending European champions from Euro 2024. The result on Saturday evening not only secured Switzerland's second consecutive quarter-final appearance but also highlighted Italy's struggle to maintain its footballing dominance.
Berlin's Olympic Stadium holds one cherished memory for Italian football – the 2006 World Cup final victory over France on penalties. Now, the Azzurri will also associate the German capital with a bitter disappointment. The reigning European champions' title defense came to an abrupt end on Saturday night, falling 2-0 to Switzerland in the Euro 2024 round of 16. The result proved that sometimes, tradition alone isn't enough to secure victory.
Italy has long been considered one of football's powerhouses, but their 2024 squad pales in comparison to past iterations. Signs of struggle were evident throughout the group stage: a narrow win over Albania, a 1-0 loss to Spain that could have been much worse, and a last-gasp equalizer against Croatia to avoid early elimination. Against a confident Swiss team, Italy's weaknesses were fully exposed.
Switzerland even nearly defeated Germany. After knocking out France at the same stage in the previous European Championship, the Swiss have now reached consecutive Euro quarter-finals. They did so in style, orchestrated by Ruben Vargas, who assisted Remo Freuler's 37th-minute opener before scoring himself in the 46th minute.
Ironically, three of Switzerland's key players – including Freuler and Michel Aebischer, who assisted the second goal – play for Bologna, this season's surprise package in Italy's Serie A. With foreign players increasingly dominating top Italian clubs, it's perhaps unsurprising that the national team is struggling to keep pace.
