Roberto Mancini says nobody would have expected Italy to win the 2018 European Championship when he took over in 2018. In comments highlighted by multiple outlets, he argues the team succeeds despite a lack of marquee names and frames the achievement as an outcome that surprised observers.
Both reports cite Mancini pointing to the absence of historic Italian stars in the squad, saying Italy wins “without a Totti, a Del Piero, a Baggio, or a Riva.” The overall message across sources is that he builds confidence on the strength of the group and its results rather than on individual celebrity status. While the outlets differ only in how much surrounding detail they include, they agree on the core claim: Mancini presents the 2018 Euros triumph as an unexpected success achieved without relying on widely recognized figures from past generations.
Neither source indicates changes to the record of the tournament itself, focusing instead on Mancini’s retrospective comments about expectations and team composition.
