For the first time since 1968 Italy claimed the European Championship as penalties came back to haunt England at Wembley on Sunday, Gianluigi saving twice as the Azzurri won a shootout 3-2 after the game finished 1-1 following extra time.
The championship culminated in a dramatic penalty kick against England following a 1-1 tie that led the match to overtime. Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma blocked a final attempt by England’s Buyako Saka to nab the victory, causing the entire stadium to erupt in wild celebration accompanied by emotional displays from players of the respective teams.
Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte tweeted,
“After so much suffering you give us this great joy: guys we are proud, very proud of you!”
England also acknowledged Italy’s triumph on Sunday, with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge congratulating Italy’s team on “a great victory” while calling England’s loss “heartbreaking” in a Twitter post on Sunday.
The Euro 2020 Championship marked Italy’s first major soccer title since 2006. Italians celebrated the European Championship soccer title as a new beginning not only for their youthful national team but for a country that’s been yearning to return to normalcy after being hit hard and long by the coronavirus pandemic.
