Italy win UEFA Euro 2020 by beating England 3-2 on penalties

The story of the redemption of Italian football is over. England’s painful half-century wait for a major title continues.

And it had to be because of a penalty shootout.

Italy won the European Championship for the second time, beating England 3-2 on penalties on Sunday. The game ended 1-1 after extra time at Wembley Stadium, which was mostly filled with English fans hoping to celebrate the team’s first international trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

“It’s coming to Rome. It’s coming to Rome,” shouted Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci into a TV camera amid the celebrations, mocking the famous “it’s coming home” lyrics from the team’s anthem. ‘England.

For England it was utter dejection again – they know the feeling so well when it comes to penalties – after Gianluigi Donnarumma, the imposing Italian goalkeeper, dove to his left and saved the decisive shot from Londoner Bukayo Saka, one of the youngest players in the England squad.

It was England’s third straight failure from the penalty spot in the shootout, with Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho – players brought late into extra time apparently as specialist shooters – also missing.

As Saka and Sancho cried, Donnarumma was mobbed by his teammates as they sprinted towards him from the center line at the end of the second penalty shootout in a European Championship final.

Then the cheering Italian players made their way to the other end of the pitch and ran as one, diving to the ground in front of the Italian fans who witnessed a rebirth of their national team.

Less than four years ago, Italy plunged to the lowest point in its footballing history by failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in six decades. Now they are the best team in Europe and on a national record of 34 games unbeaten under the guidance of Roberto Mancini, their suave coach who won an international trophy in his first attempt to add to the other European title. of the country – in 1968 – and its four World Cups.

Mancini joined his players on the podium as Italian captain Giorgio Chiellini lifted the Henri Delaunay trophy against the backdrop of fireworks and duct tape.

“It was impossible to even contemplate that at one point,” Mancini said, “but the guys were just amazing. I have no words for them.”

For England, this is the last heartbreak in shootout in major tournaments, after defeats in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2012. They ended this losing streak by beating Colombia on penalties in the round of 16 of the 2018 World Cup, but the pain quickly returned.

“The boys couldn’t have given more,” said England captain Harry Kane. “Penalties are the worst feeling in the world when you lose. It’s been a fantastic tournament – we should be proud, hold our heads up. It will hurt now, it will hurt for a while.”

England’s first major final in 55 years had also started very well, with Luke Shaw scoring the fastest goal in a European Championship final as he encountered a cross from opposing winger Kieran Trippier with a half volley who came off the post in the second minute.

It was Shaw’s first goal for England and it sparked a punch between David Beckham and Tom Cruise in the VIP box amid an explosion of joy around Wembley, which had at least 67,000 fans at inside. Perhaps more, given that dozens of ticketless English fans made their way past stewards and police and into the stadium in disturbing scenes before kick-off.

This was the only time Italy’s reputedly robust defense really opened up in the 120 minutes.

Indeed, after Shaw’s goal, England barely saw the ball for the remainder of the game.

Italian midfielders dominated possession, as widely predicted before the game, and England simply resorted to a deep drop and put nine or even all 10 outfielders behind the ball. It was reminiscent of the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, when England also scored early against Croatia and then spent most of the game chasing after their opponents’ midfielder before losing in overtime.

Italy’s equalizer was deserved and Bonucci was the unlikely scorer. He handed the ball over at close range after a right-wing corner kick was returned to Marco Verratti, whose tilted head was knocked back onto the post by goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

England have managed to hold on to extra time – as have been three of the last six European finals – and actually had the best of the finals.

But not the shooting, again.

After Rashford’s misfires – he stuttered all the way to the ball and then hit the post – and Sancho, whose shot was repelled by Donnarumma again to his left, Jorginho was fortunate enough to win it for Italy.

Incredibly, the midfielder who converted the decisive penalty in a shootout win over Spain in the semi-final also failed to score as Pickford reversed the effort from the post.

It was Donnarumma who then made the crucial saves and within minutes he was also named player of the tournament, the first goalkeeper to be so honored.

So instead of going home, the trophy heads to Rome.

“We had heard him day after day from Wednesday night – we had heard that he was coming back to London,” Bonucci said. “I’m sorry for them, but the cup will take a good flight, heading to Rome for Italians around the world to savor.”