Europe turns blue! A deserved triumph that of Italy, which returns to win a European 53 years after the last time, but above all raises its head again after a very difficult year and a half, in which sport has certainly gone into the background, to then return to the shields at the most important, namely that of the restart. This is not rhetoric, but pure and simple reality: just look at how many Italians have poured into the squares in these European nights, not to mention those who have literally monopolized televisions from north to south, without exception.
THE11 July it was already history for what happened in 1982, when Bearzot's men conquered the world on the legendary night in Madrid, but now, after what happened yesterday at Wembley, it's simply legend. The Azzurri won against everything and everyone, because it was very difficult to conquer the London temple, especially as the hosts were up against them, very convinced of triumphing and taking back the international scene after 55 years of waiting. Football's coming home, on the other hand, has changed the consonant, becoming a much more local one Football's coming Rome.
Jokes aside, it is clear that the satisfaction of having won away is even stronger, also because the mission, if possible, had become even more difficult after just 2', when Shaw had given England the lead, to Italy, Chiellini dixit, a cold punch in the face. “We were good, we conceded goals and went into difficulty, but then we dominated the game – the words of a Left-handed with shining eyes -. The lads were wonderful, this victory is important for all the people, for all the fans, we are happy. The team has grown a lot and can improve even more, I'm proud of my boys, I'm speechless. Appointment at the World Cup? Let's enjoy this. Today a circle has closed, our boys were incredible”.
The CT undoubtedly is the cover man of this triumph, given that he deserves credit for having built this team on the rubble left by the previous cycle, when we didn't even manage to qualify for the World Cup. It's only been 3 years, but it seems like an eternity after seeing this European Championship, finished unbeaten, as well as in 34 matches now. It was said that numbers counted for little, that in the face of real obstacles they would collapse, instead the Italy of Mancio (and of Vialli, Oriali, Evani, Lombardo and De Rossi) got bigger every time the bar was raised , demonstrating that he knows how to win by suffering, like against Austria and Spain, and playing, like in all the other matches, including the Wembley final.
Yeah, because after Shaw's punch the blues have skidded under the blows of the English for 20', to then find all their certainties, techniques and characters. Minute after minute, Italy took possession of the field, forcing Southgate's team to withdraw the center of gravity, until they only thought about defending: the final data (62% with 38 ball possession, 20 overall shots at 6) speak volumes about how the match went.
get back on our feet however we had to wait for 67', when Bonucci, following the development of a corner, he scored a splendid save by Pickford on Verratti. The goal had been in the air for some time, but it hadn't arrived yet thanks to the skill of the English goalkeeper (his intervention against Chiesa was also wonderful a few minutes earlier) and his usual lightness in the offensive phase, personified by a Property totally detached from the game.
Mancini, who had already had doubts on the eve, thus decided to rely on the "false nueve", removing the Lazio to put Berardi and thus relying on a trio without points of reference with Insigne and Chiesa. Winning move, like Cristante for the tired Barella, while the subsequent ones (in Bernardeschi, Belotti, Locatelli and Florenzi in place of the injured Chiesa, Insigne, Verratti and Emerson) paid off with alternating current.
However, Southgate's substitutions went decidedly worse, given that the English coach, already very unlucky with penalties as a player (his was the decisive error in the semi-final against Germany in 1996), had kept them in anticipation of the final lottery, choosing Rashford and Sancho especially for that. It was they who betrayed him from the spot, together with the very young man Sakathus nullifying the mistakes of Belotti and Jorginho, which had made the whole of Italy tremble.
In the end though, thanks to a great Donnarumma (and to goals from Berardi, Bonucci and Bernardeschi), the sky above Wembley turned blue and, consequently, also the squares throughout Italy, from big cities to smaller towns. Now the National champion of Europe, after a sacrosanct night of revelry, he is preparing to go home, even if the program of the official party, apart from the reception at the Quirinale, is not yet entirely clear, due to obvious limitations related to Covid. Whatever happens, however, will not change the substance of the facts: lItaly has won, indeed it has triumphed, and not even the pandemic will be able to cancel this.
