Built from the back out? Not this Italy Successful Azzurri teams of the past were known for their all-world defence, but at Euro 2020, Roberto Mancini's Italy plans to contend with its sterling midfield. ESPN Marco Verratti , Marco Canoniero/LightRocket via Getty Images Forget the old stereotypes. Successful Azzurri teams of yesteryear were known for uncompromising A-list defenders (think Fabio Cannavaro, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi or Gaetano Scirea) and lethal strikers (Paolo Rossi, Roberto Baggio, Pippo Inzaghi or Francesco Totti). Not this team. This one is all about the midfielders, a category that -- with some notable exceptions -- hasn't been Italy's strong suit in past tournaments.