Gianluca Scamacca's Goals Secure Spot in Italy's Provisional Euro 2024 Squad
Italy's national coach Luciano Spalletti unveiled his provisional squad for Euro 2024, with striker Gianluca Scamacca earning a spot after a remarkable late-season surge. Scamacca's inclusion comes on the heels of an impressive performance, during which he netted 11 goals and provided four assists in all competitions since March, pivotal in Atalanta's historic Europa League triumph.
The 25-year-old's resurgence marks a turnaround from being omitted from Italy's friendlies against Venezuela and Ecuador in March, with Spalletti's criticism of players "playing on the PlayStation until four in the morning" widely interpreted as directed at Scamacca.
In a bid to address Italy's longstanding striker conundrum, Spalletti has opted for the in-form Scamacca, dropping the inconsistent Ciro Immobile, a key figure in Italy's previous Euro victory. Scamacca is set to partner with Juventus star Federico Chiesa, while the surprise inclusion of Nicolo Fagioli in midfield adds a fresh dynamic to the squad after his recent return from a seven-month ban for gambling on football matches.
The betting scandal saw Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali losing his spot in the squad, with Fagioli taking his place. Additionally, veterans like Marco Verratti, who moved to Al-Arabi last summer, and Manuel Locatelli, who impressed at the previous Euro but was subsequently dropped by Spalletti, won't be part of the squad.
Retired captain Giorgio Chiellini, along with Leonardo Bonucci and Lorenzo Insigne, key figures in Italy's previous triumph, will also be absent. Spalletti's final squad announcement is scheduled for June 6, with Italy set to face Spain, Croatia, and Albania in Group B. Pre-tournament friendlies against Turkey and Bosnia and Herzegovina are slated for early next month.
