As Germany’s European Championship approaches, 12BSports reports that fans are making all kinds of predictions about which nation will lift the trophy. Yet surprisingly few people are placing Italy among the leading contenders, even though the Azzurri are the defending European champions and currently sit ninth in the FIFA rankings. It is almost as if this team is being treated as though its recent glory belongs to a completely different era.

Italy recently played out a 0-0 draw with Turkey in a friendly, delivering a performance that fell short of expectations. However, 12BSports did not rule out the possibility that the result was either a case of caution or a tactical smokescreen. In their final warm-up match against Bosnia, head coach Luciano Spalletti used a 3-4-2-1 system, and the starting-level lineup, led by captain Gianluigi Donnarumma, had a combined market value of around 280 million euros.

Italy controlled much of the match but still lacked sharpness in the final third. In the 38th minute, Davide Frattesi met Federico Chiesa’s pass with a stylish volley and found the net, giving Italy a narrow 1-0 victory. The result extended Italy’s unbeaten run to six matches, but the team’s weak finishing remains a concern, with only one goal from 17 shots.

There is an old joke in European football that says Italy are weak, England are strong, and China can qualify for the World Cup. Even after Argentina broke the so-called curse of being unable to win, doubts about Italy have not disappeared. Yet in the previous European Championship, Italy defeated England to return to the top of Europe after 53 years, beating strong opponents along the way and leaving a powerful impression.

This time, Italy may not have the same star power as in the past, but their overall strength is not far behind the other title contenders. The bigger problem is that they have been drawn into Group B with Spain, Croatia, and Albania, a group widely seen as one of the toughest in the tournament. Instead of being expected to finish first, many analysts believe Italy may need to aim for one of the best third-place spots just to reach the round of 16.

Spain and Croatia both looked very steady in their friendly matches and are considered serious contenders for the title. Italy, by contrast, failed to show clear dominance even against weaker opposition, leaving questions hanging in the air. Still, cup tournaments are full of twists and turns, and it would be too early to judge the final outcome based only on current form.

Italy have also suffered the pain of missing two consecutive World Cups, but against European opponents in recent years, they have maintained a fairly solid rhythm and stayed ninth in the world rankings. Even so, a 12BSports reporter noted that it remains difficult to find many people who genuinely see Italy as one of the strongest favorites to win the tournament.

Even legendary goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca has suggested that reaching the semifinals would be a realistic target for Italy, while some voices have even raised the possibility of a group-stage exit. As some people say, life is short, but Italy have quietly endured their pain and are preparing to rise again. Whether they can become the surprise story of another major tournament is now one of the most intriguing questions of this Euro campaign.