Cinque Anni: The Story of the Italian National Football Team: 2017-2022

Rob Carless's "Cinque Anni" perfectly explains one of football's most perplexing stories. How did Italy, four-time World Cup champions, manage to miss two consecutive World Cups yet claim European glory in between? This paradox forms the backbone of Carless's meticulously researched work, which does far more than simply recount five years of Italian football history.
The book's greatest strength lies in Carless's ability to weave together multiple timelines. While the core narrative focuses on the 2017-2022 period, he skilfully traces the DNA of Italian football back to its origins in the country's port cities. This historical context isn't mere padding; it's essential to understanding how deeply the recent failures cut into the Italian sporting psyche. 
Carless utilises his decades of sportswriting experience in his storytelling. His previous works on Manchester United and the Football League Cup have clearly honed his ability to balance technical analysis with human drama. The chapter on Italy's Euro 2020 triumph amid the pandemic is particularly moving, capturing both the sporting achievement and its broader significance for a nation that suffered enormously during the early stages of COVID-19.
What sets "Cinque Anni" apart is its refusal to settle for easy narratives. While lesser writers might have been satisfied to portray this as a straightforward redemption story, Carless delves deeper. His exploration of the 1949 Superga air disaster and its long-lasting impact on Italian football adds crucial perspective to modern struggles. The parallel he draws between that tragedy's aftermath and Italy's recent resilience is subtle but powerful.
The book really shines in its tactical analysis. Carless breaks down key matches with the precision of a football analyst while maintaining the narrative flow of a storyteller. His examination of the failed World Cup qualifying campaigns doesn't just explain what went wrong it helps readers understand why it went wrong, from systematic issues to specific in-game decisions. 
If there's a criticism to be made, it's that Carless occasionally gets caught up in the minutiae of historical details that, while interesting, somewhat interrupt the book's momentum. However, this is a minor quibble in what is otherwise an expertly paced narrative.
"Cinque Anni" is more than just a sports book it's a study in how national identity and sporting achievement intertwine. Carless shows us how five years of extreme highs and lows reflect not just the state of Italian football, but Italy itself. For anyone interested in understanding how a football powerhouse could experience such dramatic swings of fortune, this book is essential reading. 
The timing of this publication feels particularly poignant as Italy prepares for Euro 2024, adding an extra layer of relevance to Carless's analysis. While the book's title means "Five Years" in Italian, its insights will likely remain relevant for many years to come.
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Published: June 2, 2025
Price: £16.99
Paperback: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 183680170X
ISBN-13: 978-1836801702
Dimensions: 154 x 236 (mm)