(Only England, which has yet to surrender a goal, has been better.) Much of the credit for that — as has been the case for the past decade — will go to the veteran center backs Giorgio Chiellini, 36, and Leonardo Bonucci, 34. And Italy’s coach, Roberto Mancini, will be relying on them again on Tuesday against Spain. “It’s been a number of years now that it’s been said that they’re the best center back pairing in world soccer,” Mancini told reporters on Monday. “Their strength is that they want to prove that that is still the case.”Club teammates at Juventus for much of that time, Chiellini and Bonucci say their familiarity is only part of their formula for success.

Source: New York Times July 06, 2021 20:26 UTC