Italy will return to Wembley on Wednesday for the first time since beating England in the Euro 2020 final last July - yet the jubilation and glory of those summer days has long gone.
The European Championship winners will play Argentina in the Finalissima, a competition that pits the winners against the runners up.
Argentina ended a 28-year wait to be crowned South American champion and then qualified for the World Cup in November.
Italy's failure to reach the World Cup is very different from the one they experienced.
They were beaten at home by North Macedonia in the play-off semi-finals after being overtaken at the top of Group C.
Italy failed to qualify for the biggest tournament in football, the World Cup.
The Azzurri missed out on two World Cups.
Four years ago, Italian football failed and they were tasked with rebuilding it.
He changed the way it was thought of in Italy, with ideas such as offensive-minded football, fun on the pitch and team spirit.
After the World Cup disappointment, there was speculation that he might walk away or be pushed.
This is the biggest deception of my career, I feel responsible for it. I don't know if I'm going to resign. At the time, Mancini said that he needed to think.
He asked to pick up the pieces again.
There will be evolution, but there will be no drastic revolution.
The intervention he has been given will not be the same size or impact as his first one because the pivotal points will not change.
The concept of offensive football, entertainment and group spirit will remain the same.
Rather than rebuild his team from scratch, Mancini will be looking to reignite his team, which enjoyed a world-best run of 37 games without defeat before the Uefa Nations League semi-final against Spain last October. There are 30 players called up for the Finalissima, which is down from 47.
Italy has a good base to start from.
The stadium where Giorgio Chiellini lifted the biggest trophy of his career is where he will say farewell on Wednesday.
Leonardo Bonucci is the Azzurri's natural successor.
Lorenzo Insigne and Ciro Immobile will not be part of the project.
Continuity is guaranteed by Jorginho, Marco Verratti, Nicolo Barella, Manuel Locatelli, Leonardo Spinazzola, and Gianluigi Donnarumma. Chiesa was out for the Argentina game but will be back soon.
The Italian squad will be younger in the future. The future of the front line will be decided by who plays at Wembley and who does not.
They all took to the pitch together in Konya in a 3-2 friendly win over Turkey in March, as the attacking trio six years younger on average than the one he had used against England.
Italy will probably become a stronger team. The manager will have to make a decision soon about the power of AC Milan and the dynamism of Davide Frattesi.
The transfer market and upcoming games will be used to boost the development of young players.
He will use the Finalissima and the Nations League matches against Germany, England and Hungary to give his players experience at the highest level.
Some of his players will be wearing club shirts in September and the next round of games.
He would be open to a move to a top-level club in Italy or abroad for the three Sassuolo players - the latter shook like a leaf in front of North Macedonia when he had the chance to seal a World Cup spot.
50 youngsters have been invited to a training camp and Wilfried Gnonto, an 18-year-old Ivorian, has been called up for the first time.
The message is that the doors are open to everyone, especially for youngsters who prove their worth, as the little-known FC Zurich forward did in the past days.
A positive performance against Argentina at Wembley would show that the project is on the right track.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
