Defending champions Italy crashed out of the European Championship after losing to Switzerland 2-0 in the last 16 on Sunday (AEST).
Goals in each half from Remo Freuler and Ruben Vargas gave the Swiss their first win over their southern neighbor in 31 years and set up a quarterfinal against England or Slovakia in Düsseldorf on July 7 (AEST).
Italy’s elimination means the reigning titleholder has gone out in the last 16 for the third successive Euro after Portugal in 2021 and Spain in 2016.
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Switzerland hadn’t beaten Italy since 1993, and notched only a ninth win from 62 attempts.
“We showed from the first second that we really wanted to win this game,” Switzerland midfielder Fabian Riedler said.
“The spirit is incredible. Everyone is happy. Everyone runs for the other one.”
His team dominated in terms of possession, shots, attacks and passes. By the time Italy responded in the second half, the aggressive Swiss defense was able to deal with it.
Coach Murat Yakin’s game plan worked to perfection and he repaid the faith his federation showed him when there were calls for him to go in November.
“Football gives so much to us, gives so much to us in our lives,” Yakin said.
“I don’t know how to pay back football for everything it’s given me and my life.
“I’ll always remember tonight.”
All Italy counterpart Luciano Spalletti could do was put his hands out in exasperation on the sideline.
“The team were timid in terms of the intensity of the game,” Spalletti said.
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“We didn’t do a good job. We weren’t able to maintain a high level of intensity.”
Freuler deservedly broke the deadlock in the 37th minute when he set up Vargas’ cross with his first touch and smashed it in with his next.
Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who had earlier denied Breel Embolo in a one-on-one, produced a flying save to deflect Fabian Riedler’s free kick onto the post before the break.
But the second half had barely started before Vargas curled a shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the top right corner.
Italy was immediately more proactive and Switzerland defender Fabian Schär was relieved to see his attempted headed clearance rebound off the post minutes later.
Fans tried to get a Mexican wave going through the Olympiastadion but the Italian fans were not in the mood.
Their team pushed forward in search of a way back only to find none. Gianluca Scamacca went closest when he hit the post but looked offside in any case.
Spalletti spoke of his team’s “ beautiful suits ” before the Spain game, but this time, after substitute Mattia Zaccagni’s last-second equaliser against Croatia, he was unable to pull a rabbit out of Italy’s hat.
“If we failed, we failed. And we failed because of my team selection. And in terms of the way I conducted myself, it’s never down to the players,” Spalletti said.
Earlier, host nation Germany cemented their spot in the quarterfinals after a wet and wild win over Denmark.
“We’re going to Berlin,” sang the jubilant Germany fans who were first battered by rain and hail after a thunderstorm that stopped play for 25 minutes.
Fans then saw their team benefit from back-to-back video review calls that helped to set up a 2-0 victory in Dortmund.
Two more wins will take Germany to the capital for the July 15 final, in what could yet turn into a summer fairy tale for a nation whose soccer team is coming out of a sorry run of performances in major tournaments.
It could have been so different against the Danes, though.
The host-nation buzz was burst when, with the score at nil all, Denmark defender Joachim Andersen swept home a close-range finish that looked to have put his team ahead in the 50th minute.
The Video Assistant Referee spotted an offside in the buildup, a free kick was awarded and the ball was played downfield immediately, leading to a cross by David Raum hitting the outstretched right arm of Andersen.
The VAR got involved again and a penalty was awarded.
Kai Havertz converted the spot kick and Jamal Musiala added a second goal – his third of the tournament, which is tied for the most with Georgia’s Georges Mikautadze – in the 68th.
“We played a super game – we had crazy fans again today,” Germany defender Nico Schlotterbeck said.
“We’re playing with euphoria, we’re playing with fun, and that’s what the most beautiful thing about football is.”
It was Germany’s first win in the knockout stage of a major tournament since 2016, since when the national team has failed to advance from the group stage at back-to-back World Cups and lost in the last 16 of the last Euros in 2021 to England.
Germany will play Spain or Georgia next and became the second team to advance from the round of 16, alongside Switzerland.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann told German broadcaster ZDF that he used the rain delay to show his players incidents from the first half-hour of the game which his team dominated, playing the most soccer of the tournament, in his opinion.
Indeed, the players were able to head into the confines of the locker room while thunder, lightning and torrential rain struck, leaving spectators in the front rows particularly exposed as they scrambled higher in the stands.
Many used black-yellow-and-red flags they had waved before the match, to welcome the players onto the field, as makeshift umbrellas.
“Oh, how lovely it is,” some sang, and a few Danish supporters danced in waterfalls in the stands.
There was about a 20-minute delay before the rain relented and players re-emerged, undertaking warmups before play resumed a few minutes later. The pitch held up well in the circumstances.
Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand was left to rue those crucial couple of minutes when the big VAR decisions were made.
“I have the photo here,” he said, whipping out his phone at the post-match news conference.
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“It was one centimeter (offside). In terms of statistics and data, it doesn’t makes sense. This is not how we are supposed to be using VAR.
“And I am so tired of the ridiculous handball rule. Joachim was running normally. It’s a normal situation.”
Nagelsmann sympathised with Hjulmand, stating: “I would also be annoyed if it was the other way round.”
However, it’s Denmark going home and Germany heading to Stuttgart.
“It was a wild game altogether,” Nagelsmann said.
“We came through adversity in those seconds where it was, ‘Was it a goal or not a goal?’ and ‘Was it handball or not a handball?’ That makes me proud.
“The team deserves it and hopefully we are getting rid of the old memory stick and understand how good we actually are.”