Welcome to Calcio Square, an email newsletter dedicated to Serie A and Italian football. Every Thursday, Anthony Lopopolo picks out a player, team, coach, or trend that's making waves in Serie A. With the international break in full swing, the Italian national team is the focus of this week's edition.

Please note: The following is an updated version of an article previously published on Calcio Square but not previously available to subscribers in email form.

Italy has already shown how quickly it can undo years of hard work. It can win the European Championship one year and fail to qualify for the World Cup the next. 

But just as quickly as it can sink to new lows, the national team can bounce back to record highs. It can suffer a humiliating group-stage exit from the European Championship one year and win the World Cup two years later.

The way the team has shrugged off its latest setback - a loss to Switzerland in the round of 16 that ended its miserable title defense at Euro 2024 - fits the script. Italy has won four of the five matches it has played since that low point, beating France, Israel, and Belgium to advance to the Nations League quarterfinals. The Italians even recorded a clean sheet in Thursday's 1-0 win over the Belgians, their first in competitive action since a 0-0 draw with Ukraine in November 2023.

A lot of has changed. The Azzurri seem to have found a balance to their play. They can produce sweeping passing moves, counter with ferocity, and defend in numbers when needed. They can win by one, two, or three goals. There's a variety to their game that Luciano Spalletti has added since replacing Roberto Mancini as coach.

Spalletti survived a cull of his own. Many Italians wanted him gone after the Euros. The football Italy played in Germany was confusing and uninspiring. 

Now his ideas are taking hold. His full-backs play high and wide, making overlapping runs and supporting the attack. Federico Dimarco is enjoying some of his best football under Spalletti. Dimarco almost always finds himself in the final third, and is almost always in a position to whip in an inviting cross or score himself. This is the way he plays for Inter. It makes sense to leverage his greatest attributes here.

Spalletti has also trusted Andrea Cambiaso to make runs down the flank. He's a wild card of a player - Cambiaso has played in several positions for Juventus this season - but makes his biggest impact when he rampages into space. There's a clever player in there, and you get the feeling he's one big moment away from making headlines all over the world.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo has arguably made the biggest transformation. Spalletti coached Di Lorenzo at Napoli and restored trust in him when he took over the national team, mostly using the defender in a back three. But he doesn't have to follow rigid instructions. Di Lorenzo has the freedom to move around the field, allowing him to set up goals on the opposite end. That's how one of Italy's worst performers at Euro 2024 became one of Italy's best Thursday against Belgium.

There has even been a cure up front. Mateo Retegui, Serie A's top scorer, is Italy's most promising center-forward in the last decade. But his composure in front of goal isn't the only thing he brings. He's excellent at holding up play and shielding the ball from opponents, and he's incredibly strong off the ball, even quicker than he looks.

Then there is Sandro Tonali, who consolidated his return from suspension Thursday with his first-ever goal for to the national team. A sort of Tasmanian Devil, Tonali has helped breathe life into the team, bulking up Italy's presence in midfield areas. It's not so easy to play through it with Tonali around. He's everywhere at once, putting out fires wherever he sees them.

Maybe this really is the start of a new era. As we've seen, it doesn't take long for Italy to start one.

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