The Italian men's national soccer team is off to a flying start at the 2020 European Championship, and is now one of the favorites to win the tournament. Which makes it easy to forget that, just a few years ago, the Azzuri suffered through an almost unspeakable tragedy that the Italian press dubbed “The Apocalypse" -- failing to quality for the World Cup. Today, The Athletic’s James Horncastle joins us from Rome to explain how Italy has found its way back from the end of the (footballing) world thanks to a coach with a complicated history with the team. Plus, how the Italians have had an unusual ace up their sleeve during the tournament -- a former banker with a notebook full of secret plays.

Read James Horncastle's full story about Italy's renaissance under Roberto Mancini:

https://theathletic.com/2634406/2021/06/08/italys-rebirth-and-mancinis-second-chance-how-the-azzurri-came-back-from-the-brink/

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