Azzurri Road to Wembley (2021) Review: A Documentary About the Italian Soccer Team

Azzurri Road to Wembley, or Sogno azzurro – La strada per Wembley, is a sports documentary that captures the journey of the Italian Soccer Team’s victory against England in the 2020 European Championship held at Wembley. Currently streaming on Netflix, this hard-hitting documentary is 62 minutes long. Directed by Manuele Madolesi, the film features the original team members of the Azzurri. The film’s dialogues are mainly in Italian and the viewer has the benefit of using English and Italian subtitles. 

The synopsis of this documentary which was produced by the New Formats Development Department says, “This documentary traces the Italian soccer team’s path to victory at the 2020 European Championship, all the way to a riveting final against England.”

– Azzurri Road to Wembley review contains mild spoilers –

The documentary begins with a clip showing the final match between Azzurri and England and captures the palpable tension and excitement of the team members and the coach of the Italian Soccer Team. The first clip ends with cheers as Azzurri scores their final goal against England making them the Champions of the European 2020 Championship. The commentator becomes emotional as he proudly announces that this is the second time Italy has been crowned the winner after 1968. 

The first few minutes of the film are dedicated to showcasing the rigorous physical training that each team members undergo as they prepare for an upcoming match. Clips from the day of every match the Italian team had played, are sewn together in an attempt to maintain the flow of the documentary. The director has attached the date and venus of the days the clips were shot, to make the film easier for the viewer. The film does a wonderful job of portraying the bond between each of the team members and their relationship with soccer. 

The casual and silly banter between the team members serves as a breath of fresh amongst the tense football matches. Jokes are exchanged casually between the coach and the team members, highlighting the relationship between them. The film efficiently shifts between scenes shot during the match and scenes shot during practice sessions to provide the feeling of watching a BTS clip. A lot of the scenes focus on the planning and strategy-forming sessions, where the coach is seen giving out advice regarding the formations, speeds and positions of every player on the field. 

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Pierluigi Colantoni, the Development Director of Rai New Formats, said that “’The Azzurri Dream: The Road to Wembley’ is the completion of a project started a year ago together with the FIGC, to tell the approach of the National team to the European Championships.”

Summing up: Azzurri Road to Wembley

Azzurri Road to Wembley is an enjoyable watch, irrespective of whether one is a football buff or not. It is a feel-good film that touches upon every human emotion that players undergo while playing in an international championship. The director has done a wonderful job at simplifying the intricacies of every football game to make it suitable for every kind of viewer. 

 Azzurri – Road to Wembley is now streaming on Netflix. 

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