World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

C O A C

H / T E A M

asitall just a Midsummer
Night’sDream?Thefactthat
ItalyandRobertoMancini
havewonbothWorldSoccer’s Team
andManagerofthe Year awardsserves
toremindusthat,recent negative
results notwithstanding, 2021 was
indeeda magical year forItalian
football.
Italy’striumphalmarchdownthe
roadtoredemption,fromthe 2 017
eliminationfromtheRussiaWorld
Cupto Euro 2 02 0 triumph,achieved
byplayingMancini-inspired,quality
footballwasundoubtedlyoneof
thegreathighlights of theyear.
Whenthe GiampieroVentura-
coachedItalycrashedoutagainst
SwedeninNovember 20 17,that
disaster representedItaly’sworst
footballmomentofthelast 6 0 years.
Notsincethe WorldCupeliminationin
1958 atthe handsofNorthernIreland
(whoironicallyhavejustplayed their
partin promptinga potentialrepetition
ofthatelimination,with that0-0
WindsorParkdraw)hada result
promptedsuchnationwidedismay
andsoul-searching.

ROBERTO MANCINI

& ITALY

WorldManageroftheYear,WorldTeamoftheYear

Thelongmarchbacktothe top
tableofinternationalfootballbegan
sixmonthslaterwiththe appointment
of 56 -year-oldRobertoMancini,a
sumptuouslytalentedplayerwho,
unlikehispredecessor, hada highly
impressive coachingCV, havingledboth

W

2 0 2 1A W A R DS RE SU L TS

Champions...Azzurricentre-backLeonardo
Bonucci raisesalofttheEuro 2 02 0 trophy