Italy bowed out of EURO 2024 with a whimper after a dismal performance in their 2-0 defeat to Switzerland, including a goal from Bologna’s Remo Freuler.
The Olympiastadion in Berlin was where the Azzurri won the 2006 World Cup Final, but here they said goodbye to their title of reigning European champions. Riccardo Calafiori was suspended and Federico Dimarco injured, but Alessandro Bastoni shook off flu symptoms. Luciano Spalletti returned to a four-man defence, bringing in Gianluca Mancini, Matteo Darmian, Nicolò Fagioli, Federico Chiesa, Gianluca Scamacca and Stephan El Shaarawy. Switzerland had Silvan Widmer suspended and almost topped their group, conceding a stoppage-time equaliser with Germany.
Breel Embolo sprung the offside trap on 24 minutes and was clear on goal, but denied by a Gianluigi Donnarumma one-handed save on the right-foot curler.
Chiesa’s effort was deflected for a corner, but Switzerland took a thoroughly deserved lead when Ruben Vargas rolled across for Bologna man Remo Freuler to surge through the centre relatively undisturbed, given the time to control and drill into the near bottom corner from 12 yards.
In first half stoppages, Donnarumma fingertipped a surprise Fabian Rieder free kick onto the near post with real difficulty.
Zaccagni, whose last-gasp equaliser against Croatia allowed Italy to qualify, came on for El Shaarawy at half-time, but within 27 seconds Switzerland had doubled their lead with a Ruben Vargas curler into the far top corner with his right boot. Again, the move was started by a misplaced Fagioli pass on the kick-off and he was given far too much time.
Fabian Schär almost gifted Italy a way back into the game with a bizarre header that looped onto the upright of his own goal, leaving Inter goalkeeper Yann Sommer stunned.
Mateo Retegui came on and bobbled a weak effort into the arms of Sommer, while Gianluca Scamacca flicked the ball onto the far post from close range, though was perhaps offside.
