Antonio Conte cuts quite a dash in his baseball cap.
Come rain – and there was a sudden deluge of it as Conte's Italy took control of their last 16 match against Spain – or sunshine, of which there has been plenty at the Italian training base at Montpellier, he wears it like a lucky charm. And as a little reminder that among the managers at Euro 2016, he is among the younger ones, an energetic 47 years old.
It is the Italy manager’s thinking cap that has drawn most admiration these past three weeks, however, his tactical nous, his strategic planning, his mastering of apparently reduced resources to produce both success and some swagger.
The dark horses of Belgium were outthought on Day 1, the defending champions, Spain, have been blitzed.
Now the big examination for Conte’s clever calculus. Italy, weakened by injury and suspension, take on the world champions.
At Casa Italia, as the Montpellier training site is known, the decor depicts glories of the past. Several of those involve resonant matches against German teams.
Italy won their last two World Cups via memorable collisions with the one other European country with comparable long-term superpower status to their own: Against West Germany, in the final of 1982, and in the superb semi-final of 2006, in Dortmund, when Germany were beaten 2-0 en route to an Azzurri triumph in the final in Berlin.
Here is one lucky charm for Conte’s men: Never have Germany defeated Italy in the final stages of a major, senior tournament.
That can hardly make Italy favourites in Bordeaux. Man for man they cannot be. They were an unstarry squad when they reached France, and have lost key players along the way to the last eight.
Part of Conte’s Midas touch so far has been in managing an ever-diminishing midfield. The exits, with injury, of Marco Verratti, Claudio Marchisio and Riccardo Montolivo before Euro 2016 even began deprived him an entire, plausible middle trio for his preferred 3-5-2 formation.
More Euro 2016
History: Not kind to Germany against Italy, but Low not concerned
Thomas Woods: Conte gives glimpse of Chelsea future with Italy's winning system
The injury picked up by the trusted Antonio Candreva earlier in the tournament is another test for Conte’s ingenuity. The head coach also remains to be convinced of Daniele De Rossi’s recovery from the injury that caused him to leave the field against Spain. His replacement that day, Thiago Motta, picked up a yellow card, and is suspended.
De Rossi and Motta are Conte's tigers in front of his esteemed, excellent, all-Juventus rearguard, and there may be a temptation to push Leonardo Bonucci, the central defender into midfield, where his tenacity, marking, but also his long passing can fulfil the anchorman functions.
More likely, there will be a slot in midfield for the Juventus midfielder Stefano Sturaro, a bit-part footballer with his club, with he or Marco Parolo taking the role immediately in front of the defence.
Parolo, 31, and a late developer as an international – he has won 21 of his 23 caps since turning 29 – has been a revelation so far. But his tasks on Saturday are formidable.
Italy fear a Germany where Toni Kroos has time on the ball to pick his passes or try his longer-ranger shooting. Key to the win over Spain was the pressing and harrying of Sergio Busquets, at the base of La Roja's midfield.
“Germany are physically stronger than Spain, so it will be a different sort of game,” said the wing-back, Mattia Di Sciglio. As ever, there has been detailed analysis in team meetings, video scrutiny of Germany’s gameplans, and some fresh direct evidence of how the world champions can put the best opposition through the mincer.
Germany beat Conte’s Italy 4-1 in a friendly in March. They are fresh from the 3-0 victory over Slovakia that brought them into the last eight, and now carry the tag of tournament favourites.
“The key,” Di Sciglio said, “is to carry on the team-work we have shown so far. Yes, we have some players missing, but others are strong enough to come in and do their jobs. We are confident.”
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @NatSportUAE
Like us on Facebook at facebook.com/TheNationalSport