Euro 2020 Final: After ending a 53-year drought in European championships, Georgio Chiellini and the triumphant Italian football team arrived back in Rome on Monday. Roberto Mancini’s men pipped England at their coveted home stadium Wembley 3-2 on in a shootout after the scores were tied 1-1 at the end of regular time.
The team was greeted by elated fans who had gathered at its hotel to welcome it home.
#Azzurri 🇮🇹 🏆
👑 The Champions of Europe have arrived back in #Rome 🇪🇺#VivoAzzurro #EURO2020 pic.twitter.com/ZmDqUEhhya
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@azzurri) July 12, 2021
Italians celebrated the European Championship 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.
“The guys were extraordinary. I don’t have words for them, this is a magnificent group. There were no easy games and this one became very difficult, but then we dominated,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini told Sky TV.
Good morning! 🇮🇹💙🤪#VivoAzzurro #EURO2020 #ITA #ITAENG pic.twitter.com/qm7iZgHfH8
— Italy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (@azzurri) July 12, 2021
A cacophony of honking cars, fireworks and singing fans filled the night in Rome as thousands of people took to the streets after the country beat England in a penalty shootout on Sunday to win its first major soccer trophy since the 2006 World Cup.
Also Read: Euro 2020 Final: Sachin Tendulkar lauds Italy for ‘hard-fought victory’ over England in Euro final
“I’ve shed some tears. We deserved it, but at this age, we realise even more what it means to win a trophy like this. Since May we were saying that something magical was in the air, day after day it was more like that,” Georgio Chiellini told Sky TV.
Luke Shaw had given England a dream start with a superb goal after two minutes but Italy, who offered almost nothing in response in the first half, gradually took command as the hosts sat back and levelled through Bonucci after 67 minutes.
It was the first final to be decided on penalties since Czechoslovakia beat West Germany in 1976 and will be wildly celebrated in Italy after they lost in the final in 2000 and 2012.
