Retegui a bright note as Azzurri again fail to shine

By DANIELLA MATAR
AP Sports Writer

MILAN (AP) — Mateo Retegui’s impressive debut for Italy added some gloss to what was essentially a mediocre performance from the defending champion at the start of European Championship qualifying. Italy kicked off its campaign to reach Euro 2024 with a 2-1 loss at home to England on Thursday. It followed that up with a 2-0 win over Malta on Sunday but there is much to improve. The Azzurri’s recent performances have raised doubts about whether Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph was indeed a return to the top or an anomaly driven by the passion and fervour of a country recovering from being one of the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic.