Breaking: Italy crash out of Euro 2024 as Switzerland end Azzurri title defense in comfortable 2-0 win

Italy's European Championship defense came to an end as the Azzurri were knocked out of the Round of 16 stages of Euro 2024 with a 0-2 defeat to Switzerland.

Ruben Vargas was the star of the show for the Swiss. He set the opener up for Remo Freuler in the 37th minute before scoring a spectacular second for his side at the start of the second half (46').

Italy came into the game undefeated against Switzerland in each of their last 11 encounters, with their last defeat coming 31 years ago. However, they couldn't win when it mattered the most.

Italy failed to break through the Swiss defense even after getting two behind. They had to resort to making wild attempts from a distance. The defeat came at the same Olympiastadion venue where the Azzurri won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Marco Materazzi, the scorer in that final, was in the stands to support his country but couldn't work as a lucky charm.

Italy came into Euro 2024 looking to defend their title but the bid has come to a premature end. The Swiss, meanwhile, march on deservingly after a near-perfect performance.

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Italy's journey at Euro 2024

Italy were grouped alongside Albania, Croatia, and Spain at Euro 2024. They conceded the fastest goal in the opening game against Albania before launching a comeback win.

A 1-0 defeat to Spain followed as La Roja dominated the clash between the two European giants. The Azzurri drew Croatia with a last-ditch draw to progress to the Round of 16 of the competition,

However, the game against Switzerland turned out to be their last straw. Italy succumbed to a 0-2 defeat and could never reach their best level against the Swiss.

After failing to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Italy had the chance to make amends at the European Championships, which they failed to make the most of.

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