On Saturday, a makeshift Italy side needed a late wonder goal by Sampdoria’s Eder to salvage a useful 2-2 draw in a Euro 2016 Group H qualifier in Bulgaria.
The Brazil-born striker was one of two foreign-born players selected by Azzurri coach Antonio Conte for Italy’s match in Sofia.
Italy had taken the lead through a Yordan Minev own goal. But two goals inside six minutes shifted the tide in favour of the home team, before Eder’s 84th-minute strike.
All in all, this was a case of a point won and not two lost for Italy considering their below-par showing on the night.
The result confirmed Italy’s poor record in Bulgaria where they have never won in four visits (three draws and one defeat).
At the halfway stage of the qualifying campaign, Italy are second in the group, two points adrift of Croatia (Italy’s next opponents on June 12).
Nevertheless, Conte’s team are still the favourites, along with Croatia, to attain automatic qualification to the finals in France from the group phase.
As things stand at the moment, Italy are enjoying a two-point lead over third-placed Norway.
Incidentally, Italy’s final qualifier is at home to the Scandinavians on October 13.
Turbulent times
The Bulgaria-Italy qualifier brought to a close a stormy week for Conte and the national team.
The ex-Juventus coach was criticised and even received death threats via social media after Juve midfielder Claudio Marchisio hurt his knee while training with Italy.
Initial reports said Marchisio had damaged his ligaments but then Juventus announced the injury was not as bad as first feared and he could be back for training in a matter of days.
At one point, Conte was so irritated by the criticism levelled at him personally before the Bulgaria match, that he stormed out of an interview.
The result and performance on Saturday did little to alleviate the pressure off Conte.
Inevitably, talk of the national coach quitting his post have resurfaced again.
It seems that Conte still has to get to grips with the reality of having become Italy’s national team coach at a relatively ‘young’ age of 45.
The Azzurri were off to a promising start under Conte, cruising to convincing wins over Holland and Norway.
But after that Italy offered little spectacle as uninspiring wins over minnows Azerbaijan (2-1) and Malta (1-0) and draws with Croatia (1-1) and Bulgaria followed.
Conte is an ambitious coach but he has got it wrong more than once.
In 2009, Conte quit Bari after leading them to Serie A, stating that the southerners did not have enough quality within their ranks to survive among the elite. With the same players, Giampiero Ventura, now at Torino, helped Bari finish 10th and the team produced some of the most entertaining football in the entire division.
Only last summer, Conte quit Juventus after leading them to three league titles in as many seasons. However, in the Champions League, the Bianconeri never made inroads under Conte.
Although everyone acknowledge that no Italian club, not even Juventus, can possibly compete with the financial muscle of the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris SG and Bayern Munich, it is also true that this season there are three Italian clubs still in contention in the quarter-finals of UEFA’s club competitions, including Juventus in the Champions League.
The same cannot be said for England as there are no representatives left from the glamorous Barclays Premier League.
The rebuilding of the Italian national team has reached a delicate phase and as such, Conte should focus more on his work and less on the off-field talk and drama.
Many reckon Conte started well but now he seems to be less and less motivated particularly after a winter training camp with his squad was called off after many Serie A clubs refused to release their players to the national team.
The next Euro 2016 qualifier against Croatia will shed more light on Italy’s levels of improvement but the outcome could also bring the curtains down on Conte’s short era with the national team… only time will tell.