England have been accused of lacking energy in Germany after trundling their way through the Euro 2024 group stages. So it's appropriate that the Three Lions' round of 16 clash against Slovakia concerns coffee and unorthodox journeys. Francesco Calzona is the improbable mastermind behind Slovakia's upset against world No 3 Belgium and the man plotting a similar result for England on Sunday.
Calzona is improbable in the sense that Slovakia were, and still are, the obvious underdogs - they had only reached the knockout stages once before in their history and have a squad worth eight times less than England's. And the Italian coach's journey shares in the nation's delightful underdog-tag this summer: from amateur football and coffee salesman to prospective Euro giant killer. The 55-year-old's tale begins in Tuscany, when he was still playing amateur football for Tegoleto at the age of 31 while working full-time as a coffee salesman.
“That period made me understand many things, it was a fantastic experience,” Calzona has said of the job. “Still some customers call me asking for coffee.” The grind of coffee sales eventually faded upon being introduced to a mutual acquaintance and former banker willing to offer some financial guidance.
The financial guru? Maurizio Sarri. But the eventual Chelsea manager's passion for football meant discussions naturally traversed into the world of football. In 1999, during one such meeting, Calzona hatched a plan: Tegoleto had asked the mid.
