On June 30th, the first round of 1/8 finals of the European Cup kicked off with Italy facing Switzerland. In this match, Shalawi was included in the starting lineup. It had been 2930 days since his last appearance in a major tournament for the Italian national team, which was at the 2016 Euro Cup.
Once hailed as a prodigious talent and the future of Italian football, Shalawi’s performances in recent years have fallen short of expectations, leading to his prolonged absence from the national team’s major tournaments.
The last time Shalawi represented Italy in a major tournament was on June 22, 2016, during a Euro Cup group stage match where Italy lost 0-1 to Ireland. He came on as a substitute for 8 minutes, which were his only 8 minutes of play in that entire tournament.
Now, Shalawi’s return to a major tournament for Italy comes in the 2024 European Cup’s Round of 16. In such a crucial knockout match, Italy’s head coach, Spalletti, opting for Shalawi in the starting eleven indicates the team’s limited options.
In the 2023-24 season, Shalawi played 48 matches for Roma, scoring 3 goals and providing 9 assists.