By Richard Hall (@Gentleman_Ultra)

After Italy had knocked Spain out of Euro 2016 and in doing so effectively ending a dynasty, Antonio Conte spoke to the press. “There is no point in hiding it, this is not the rosiest period for Italy in terms of talent.”

The Azzurri ‘mister’ was right and his recognition of this allowed him to formulate a team in his own image. Conte was a functional but self-proclaimed, limited midfielder and he made the sure he got the most out his playing career. His style of coaching has followed suit and his tactical awareness, intensity and playing the right players on the right positions, has allowed some unexpected players to flourish at the tournament.

Graziano Pelle arrived at the tournament having acquired more fans for his good looks than his playing style. Similar to Olivier Giroud in many ways he had been tagged with being a good striker but questions remained about whether or not he could produce on the European or World stage.

Despite scoring 50 goals in 57 games for Feyenoord he still found himself overlooked by the Azzurri and it was only when he moved to Southampton did he eventually get his chance. Pelle had made the move to England specifically to attract the eyes of the national team and when his chance came, the boy from San Cesario di Lecce made it count, scoring on his debut in October 2014 against Malta.

Throughout Euro 2016 his passion for the national shirt and his gratitude towards Antonio Conte was shown on the pitch as he was arguably the best number nine in the tournament. Pelle is not only traditional in the way he plays but also in the way he thinks, the country comes before club and this maturity has come, perhaps because he is a late bloomer.

His ability to hold the ball up, be the target man and sacrifice himself for the team was exemplary. This ethic was a common thread in the squad and in Graziano’s case it was especially poignant, as at 30, he will not have many tournaments left in him.

Marco Parolo was almost an afterthought when Conte picked his squad for Euro 2016. The adaptable midfielder is not always appreciated at club level never mind at national level and at 31 years of age the Lazio midfielder would not have made the headlines had he been left out.

With Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio sidelined he was suddenly thrust into the center of the field. Many who dubbed Italy, ‘the worst in 40 years’ also thought that this was the soft spot.

Instead, conducted by his coach on the side lines, the former Parma midfielder worked hard and ran himself into the ground. Perhaps also playing with the realization that this could be his last tournament he was determined to make the most of it and took on numerous roles.

This included an offensive playmaker and a holding role, all taken on with gusto. He played the entire 120 minutes against Germany in the quarterfinals and was arguably man of the match as he made Italy’s technically inferior midfield look absolutely dominant at times. He is a man born from Conte’s collective ideology stating “it’s better for this Nazionale to be identified in many players and not just one or two. This Nazionale has to push forward with pride”

Emanuele Giaccherini had risen from nothing and fallen back into what could be said is footballing obscurity. A poor boy from the little village of Bibbiena nearly gave up on football before Cesena finally thrust him into the faces of Italy’s top flight. Juventus then came knocking but his subsequent fall from grace saw him bounce from Sunderland to Bologna.

His inclusion for the Euro 2016 squad was, like Parolo and Pelle, simply an indication of how far Italy had fallen for many. In Emanuele’s case he was even tagged of simply being Conte’s guilty pleasure but during the tournament he showed why his coach likes him so much. Like the rest he fought, ran and bled for his team mates but he also exhibited some delightful technical qualities many thought to have been lost. His goal against Belgium saw Sky Italia commentator, Fabio Caressa, christen him ‘Giaccherinho’ and even if this was in jest, it did not hide the fact that he had been excellent. He is perhaps the player that embodies Conte’s ideal the most as whilst he has the attitude he also has the extra bit of quality. It is this that has thrust him firmly back into the spotlight and like Pelle and Parolo, he may well find himself on the ‘wanted list’ of one of Europe’s top clubs again.