Step one complete! Italy secure qualification for the European Championship finals with three games left to play at a Stadio Olimpico filled with celebration, just like Roberto Mancini requested yesterday. The National Team Coach himself celebrates his eighth win in a row, overtaking Valcareggi and Trapattoni who were both stopped on seven, and coming within just one of Vittorio Pozzo’s record, the Coach who won two World Cups in ’34 and ’38 and who holds the all-time record of nine consecutive wins achieved between 1938 and 1939.

The Coach underlined: “Pozzo’s legacy is that he won two World Cups, the rest isn’t as important. The boys did very well, but before anything else I’d like to thank the fans at the Olimpico. There were so many of them and they really supported us, even in the first half when we weren’t at our best, perhaps we were a bit tense. We hope that this is only a sign of what’s to come in June, when there might be even more fans to cheer us on.”

His thoughts then turned to the young patients of the "Bambino Gesù” paediatric hospital. In recent days the FIGC has been working alongside the hospital in Rome, with a series of initiatives aimed at supporting the creation of an Institute for Tumours and Transplantation. Mancini and the Azzurri visited the children in hospital on Thursday, on what was a moving and emotional day: “We’re dedicating this victory to them,” said the Coach, before moving on to explain the difficulties faced with Greece’s defence: “We will often find ourselves up against teams who sit and wait for us. We were too rushed in the first half, instead of waiting and looking for the right moment. We were much better technically in the second half, we found the goals and created other chances too.”

There was also cause for celebration for Federico Bernardeschi, who came on for Chiesa in the first half and killed off the game with his third goal for the Azzurri in the second: “For me it was an important goal, just like all my others, what was really important was winning and securing qualification. We’re on the right path, we were patient tonight. We did very well at moving the ball and finding the goals.” The Juventus midfielder then thanked the fans in Rome: “Tonight was very emotional, it was spectacular. We’d like to thank the fans and let them know that we felt their support.”

FIGC President Gabriele Gravina was among the first to congratulate Mancini and the players on the pitch after the game: “Tonight was a dream come true. Thanks to Mancini, to the whole team both on and off the pitch, as well as all the FIGC staff who made such a big achievement possible in the first place. There have been a lot of firsts in the past three days: our record qualification with three games to spare; the whole squad visiting the Bambino Gesù hospital; and a record crowd at the Stadio Olimpico. They’ve been three days full of great emotions and we won’t forget them any time soon.”