Euro 2024: With penalties in play during knockout stage, Italy has a big edge
Penalty shootout season is here — and the penalty saving wizard of the European Championships, as you might expect, can't wait.
Gianluigi Donnarumma doesn't necessarily want to face more penalties, given that it means that either Italy has conceded one during regular play or failed to defeat an opponent within 90 minutes plus extra-time.
But when the chance comes to stand tall, intimidate the kicker, and potentially prove to be the difference between glory or disappointment for the defending champion, he wants you to know one thing.
He's ready.
"The ultimate test," he told reporters recently. "And the ultimate opportunity."
Stating as a fact that there will be penalty shootouts coming as the knockout round of Euro 2024 begins with Italy's clash against Switzerland in Berlin (Saturday, noon ET on FOX) is one of those things that isn't strictly speaking true but might as well be. There's no money-back guarantee offered here if each and every one of the do-or-die elimination games are concluded in normal or extra-time, but here's something better.
In the last Euros, there were four games that went to PKs from 15 matches in the knockout round and in the 2016 tournament there were three. The World Cup in Qatar saw five shootouts from 16 matches, and every Euros has had one in the modern era. The last time there wasn't at least one was 1988, when the Euros was an eight-team affair and if you finished in the top two in your group you were straight through to the semis, meaning only three elimination matches total.
So yeah, penalties are coming, with all that tension and inevitable heartbreak.
"When it comes to penalties, having a goalkeeper like Donnarumma is a special advantage," Giorgio Chiellini said. Chiellini, a FOX analyst for this tournament, was Italy's captain when it won Euro 2020, with Donnarumma named player of the tournament.
Croatia vs. Italy Highlights
How's this for some hard evidence to back up the anointing of Donnarumma as undisputed royalty of the 12-yard stretch of turf between the penalty spot and his goal line? Of the last 10 spot-kicks that failed to score at the Euros, he has been responsible for six, either making a save by flinging his giant frame to one side or the other, or panicking the taker into missing the target altogether.
The most recent was when he parried Luka Modric's effort for Croatia on the final day of Group B action. Although Modric scored from open play moments later, Italy's late equalizer through Mattia Zaccagni put it into a head-to-head with Switzerland, instead of what would have been, the way things turned out later, early elimination.
Donnarumma's most famous body of work came when Italy fell behind to England during the shootout in the Euro 2020 final at London's Wembley Stadium. Then Marcus Rashford dumped his strike against the post, before Donnarumma correctly jumped to his left to deny Jadon Sancho, then the same direction to seal it by keeping out Bukayo Saka.
He didn't immediately celebrate at the time, which wasn't because he's ice cold, but because he didn't realize Italy had won. The Azzurri will forgive his questionable counting skills as long as he keeps making saves like that.
However, his national team journey has not been entirely smooth. He is 25, Italy's youngest captain for nearly 60 years, but it was not entirely well received when he left boyhood club AC Milan for more money with Paris St. Germain. Nor when he didn't play especially well as Italy missed out on a second-straight World Cup. Head coach Luciano Spalletti was said to be considering replacing him with Guglielmo Vicario when he was appointed, but didn't.
When Donnarumma leads Italy out on Saturday, there will be some history at play. The Olympiastadion in Berlin is where not only the Euro 2024 final will be held, but was also the venue for the 2006 World Cup final where Italy beat France.
In a penalty shootout.
The goalkeeper back then was the legendary Gigi Buffon, now Italy's team manager. He addressed the squad this week.
"Buffon talked to us about it, you could see the tears in his eyes," Donnarumma told reporters. "This will be a great challenge in an important tournament. We must be positive, have the right mentality and give 110%.
"Certainly we are ready. We need to whittle down a few things that we could've done better in the group phase. There is more awareness of our capabilities. We had a very difficult group and everyone thought we were done for, but we gave it our all and got through.
"That boosts our confidence and motivation. Once you are in the Round of 16 you can go all the way. The adrenaline will be pumping, we know millions of Italians are behind us and that gives us an extra push going forward."
Switzerland performed strongly in Group A, coming within minutes of beating Germany and topping the group, before being denied by Nicolas Fullkrug late tying goal.
But the Swiss will know as much as anyone that a big task awaits them. Not just in toppling the most recent team to win the trophy, but in getting the ball past perhaps the best goalkeeper in the tournament.
Who will greet the pressure like it's an old friend, and, if the gauntlet of penalties arises, will look you in the eye. And invite you to take your best shot.
Martin Rogers is a columnist for FOX Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MRogersFOX and subscribe to the daily newsletter.
