Greatest Games: Italy 0 Netherlands 0, 2000

On this week’s Greatest Games, Jonathan Wilson and Marcus Speller are joined by Brian Oliver to discuss the Euro 2000 semi-final between Italy and the Netherlands.

Both nations had gotten the group stages and a quarter-final with little to worry about up to this fixture. The co-host, Netherlands, were spurred on by a 34th minute Gianluca Zambrotta red card and seemed destined to advance to the final of their own tournament.

However, a triumphant display of Catenaccio values deployed by Dino Zoff’s Nezzuri ensured Italy were headed for a meeting with the world champions in Rotterdam.

About the panel:

Jonathan Wilson founded The Blizzard in 2011 and is editor of the magazine. He’s contributed to numerous publications including the Guardian and Sports Illustrated as well as having authored Behind the Curtain, Inverting the Pyramid, The Outsider, Angels with Dirty Faces and most recently The Names Heard Long Ago, among others.

Marcus Speller is a host of the Football Ramble podcast as well as Answerable Questions with Questionable Answers. Marcus also regularly hosts our live Q&A events across the country alongside Jonathan.

Brian Oliver is a sports journalist having covered many international tournaments, former sports editor of the Observer and author of The Commonwealth Games: Extraordinary Stories Behind The Medals.

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