THE RISE, FALL & RISE OF ITALIAN FOOTBALL

After Euros glory Italy fell apart and Mancini quit ...but under Spalletti they are on the up

- JOHN CROSS

TWO years on from inflicting heartbreak on England at Wembley, the Azzurri have been on the most remarkable football journey.

A story of betrayal, big money, transition, failure, rows and now a full-scale betting investigation.

The Italian national team is in a very different place to July 11, 2021, when they beat England on penalties to win the Euros.

They have had a change in manager, a big turnover of players and now return to Wembley to face England on Tuesday night with plenty at stake again.

A victory for Gareth Southgate's men could see them clinch top spot and qualification for Euro 2024.

But first, tonight in Group C, Italy meet Malta in Bari knowing back-to-back wins would put a totally different slant on the table.

And, for the first time in a long time, Italy are in a better place to start thinking about being on the rise again.

Former Napoli boss Luciano Spalletti, 64, is in charge, having won Serie A last season in such style and has already implemented a new brand of more attacking, expansive football.