Euro 2020 final: Italy lift trophy after beating England on penalties – live reaction!
England #England
9.45pm EDT 21:45
In the context of hope for the future, Jordan Henderson has spoke of his belief that this is a step towards building towards the 2022 World Cup.
“Of course you need to learn from the experience,” he said. “I know it’s disappointing now but we will go away and have a little break, it will eat at you a little bit and you have to use it as fuel to want more, to achieve more and keep pushing each other.
“What we have created this tournament is something really special and hopefully we can bounce back from this. I’m sure we will we have Qatar coming up in 16 months, we are in good shape, what we have created is really special. I’m really proud of the lads and I’m looking forward to what we can do going forward.”
9.27pm EDT 21:27
“Let’s don’t forget that there were a number of England players who barely put a foot wrong the whole tournament,” writes Jim. “Stones, Maguire, Walker, Shaw, Trippier, Rice, Phillips, Pickford. The flair players like Sterling, Saka, Mount, Grealish, and Kane were also impressive. That bodes well for the future.”
It is a point perhaps too painful for fans to properly consider while so raw, but this iteration of England is still on the rise. The post mortem will be very different from in the past, and there is much to look forward to.
9.17pm EDT 21:17
Lucy Campbell was in central London for the match and witnessed the full spectrum of emotions from England supporters.
“Silence fell on Trafalgar Square. Some left immediately, others stood frozen in their shoes, in utter disbelief at how close it had been. It wasn’t the result England had spent weeks willing to materialise, instead it was something more heartbreakingly familiar.”
‘Being an England fan is horrible’: silence and disbelief at fan zone
9.03pm EDT 21:03
Speaking of, here is our story just published:
FA condemns racist abuse of England players on social media after Euro final
9.00pm EDT 21:00
Steve Richards writes to say he is “genuinely puzzled by the penalty takers”.
“Presumably months of practice, psychology and technique determined who should take them and when (the substitutions were obviously planned). But it seemed … odd ? Can ‘pressure’ and accumulated data affect even the most fearless/accomplished young footballer? When they have to take the long walk from the halfway line ? No stuttering run-ups, no ‘giving the eyes’. Head down, knee over the ball and just hit it? England are a good team. Italy are better. Deserved winners.”
There has be a copious amount of discussion around this. Alan Shearer’s view is it was a “big ask” for late, late substitutions Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho to step up, while Roy Keane said it was absurd to send Bukayo Saka, a 19-year-old who has never taken a penalty for Arsenal, out to take the fifth penalty.
Southgate has already said it was “my call and totally rests with me”.
Here is Jonathan Liew’s take:
Jonathan Liew (@jonathanliew)
you know, it’s entirely possible that those were the right five penalty takers in the right order, and they just… missed
July 11, 2021
I should stress yet again that no player, under any circumstances, should be subject to racial abuse. ICYMI the FA has released a statement condemning said abuse of England players including Saka and calling for “accountability and action”.
8.25pm EDT 20:25
Roberto Mancini, the manager behind Italy’s renaissance, has been crying solidly since full-time and is still in shock “after achieving something incredible”.
“We don’t even realise what we have managed to achieve,” he said. “We are delighted for people and the Italian public because they really deserve this after what has been a trying period. This is great joy for us.
“I cried on this ground 30 years ago after the 1992 European Cup final [when Sampdoria lost to Barcelona]. That really hurt back then. Winning the European Championship for the first time since 1968 and bringing home the trophy I do think it is something incredible.
“It [crying] was the emotion which happens after achieving something incredible. It was the emotion of seeing the guys celebrate and the fans in the stands. Seeing everything we have managed to create, all of the hard work we have put in over the last three years but specifically the last 50 days which have been very hard.
“It’s the fact we have been able to forge this team spirit over the last 50 days, they have really created something which can never be separated going forward. They will always be synonymous with this triumph.”
8.19pm EDT 20:19
Emma here to bring you more reaction from home and abroad. To Italy for a bit, and Leonardo Bonucci says the “It’s Coming Home” chant galvanised his team.
“We heard it day in, day out ever since Wednesday night, since the Denmark game, that the cup would be coming home to London,” Bonucci said. “Sorry for them but actually the cup will be taking a nice flight to Rome and that way Italians all over the world can savour this competition. It is for everyone, we said from day one it was for them and for us.”
That joy flight to Rome has been coming for some time, says the Juventus centre-back.
“You need to want it more than anything else, this is a renaissance for Italian football, and I am sure this squad and this great coach will make plenty of headlines going forward.
“We believed right from day one when we all joined up, there was different feeling in the air and it has come to pass. We never got tired of being together or spending time together, we had this burning desire to stay together and it is incredible.”
8.05pm EDT 20:05
Time to hand over to my colleague, Emma Kemp, who will guide you through more reaction from England, Italy and beyond.
8.02pm EDT 20:02
The British prime minister, Boris Johnson, has given his reaction: “That was a heartbreaking end to #Euro2020 but Gareth Southgate and his England squad played like heroes. They have done the nation proud and deserve great credit.”
Prince William tweeted: “England, you’ve all come so far, but sadly, this time it wasn’t our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves – I know there’s more to come.”
“Heartbreaking. On and off the pitch, this team is the very best of our country. They’ve done us proud,” wrote the Labour leader, Keir Starmer on Twitter. The London mayor, Sadiq Khan, said the team had “inspired millions across the country” and “made history. You’ve inspired millions across the country, and London is so proud of you.”
Boris Johnson and Prince William lead praise for defeated England players
7.52pm EDT 19:52
Here is a bit of Barney Ronay, reflecting on England’s Euro 2020 run:
“It was nearly complete, it was nearly so sweet. But it was, lest we forget, still sweet all the same. For Gareth Southgate and his young team, defeat came in the cruellest, most operatic fashion at Wembley as England’s shot at a first tournament victory in 55 years was decided by another of those brutal little flick-books of joy and despair.”
England suffer cruel defeat but Gareth Southgate and his players lit up the summer | Barney Ronay
7.47pm EDT 19:47
In more deeply depressing news, several England players including Bukayo Saka have been subjected to racial abuse on social media after the match. The FA has released a statement condemning the abuse and calling for “accountability and action”.
The FA strongly condemns all forms of discrimination and is appalled by the online racism that has been aimed at some of our England players on social media. We could not be clearer that anyone behind such disgusting behaviour is not welcome in following the team. We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible.
We will continue to do everything we can to stamp discrimination out of the game, but we implore government to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real life consequences. Social media companies need to step up and take accountability and action to ban abusers from their platforms, gather evidence that can lead to prosecution and support making their platforms free from this type of abhorrent abuse.
7.33pm EDT 19:33
The Metropolitan Police have reported 45 arrests while policing the final. In case you missed it earlier, a number of fans also got into Wembley despite not having tickets. Let’s hope for a more peaceful night from here on.
England fans force way into Wembley without tickets for Euro 2020 final
Metropolitan Police Events (@MetPoliceEvents)
#UPDATE | We have made 45 arrests while policing today’s #Euro2020 final.
A number of officers remain on duty, helping fans leaving #Wembley or central London. We are there to look out for your safety.
July 11, 2021
7.24pm EDT 19:24
Here are Andy Hunter’s player ratings from Wembley:
Italy 1-1 England: Euro 2020 final at Wembley player ratings
7.18pm EDT 19:18
Let’s get some pundit reaction to England’s defeat, with plenty quick to defend the players who stepped up and missed spot-kicks.
“I’ve seen seasoned players with hundreds of games under their belts turn away,” the BBC’s Rio Ferdinand said in defence of those who missed. Alan Shearer was critical of Gareth Southgate’s decision to bring players on late for penalties. “It’s a big ask to put players on with a minute to go and say ‘go and take a penalty’ when they’ve had no feel of the ball,” he said.
On ITV, Ian Wright had words of comfort for Bukayo Saka. “He is more than capable of taking that penalty,” Wright said. “He is brave enough to take it. I am devastated for him. We have done brilliantly to get to where we got to but in the end we just got pipped.”
Roy Keane added: “It’s not a night be critical of England. I think Gareth and his staff have been magnificent. It’s a tough night for England but sometimes you have to lose to win. You have to take your medicine. There has been huge progress in the last few years and the World Cup is around the corner.”
7.05pm EDT 19:05
Niall McVeigh here, picking up the blog with more reaction. Away from England’s pain, Italy were undeniably the tournament’s best team, and looked favourites from the opening game when they swept Turkey aside. Here’s Nicky Bandini on how they did it:
Roberto Mancini honours promise to make Italy champions of Europe
6.50pm EDT 18:50
David Hytner was also there, and his match report has landed. Here’s his take on a wildly fluctuating night at Wembley, when Italy deservedly became champions of Europe for the second time, breaking English hearts in the process. Many congratulations to Italy, and huge commiserations to England, who follow up semi-final defeat in the World Cup with a final loss at the Euros. Hey, there’s a trend here. Victory in Qatar next winter? You never know.
Italy crush England’s dreams after winning Euro 2020 on penalties
Updated at 7.03pm EDT
6.43pm EDT 18:43
Jonathan Liew was at Wembley. Here’s his verdict on some “brave brilliant lads” who have “charmed the nation”.
England’s charming lads separated from glory by the finest of margins | Jonathan Liew
6.42pm EDT 18:42
Tonight’s match went down quite well in Rome, as you’d imagine. Here’s Angela Giuffrida on an outcome few expected when the tournament started last month.
‘Mancini has been absolutely wonderful’: praise for manager as Rome unites behind Italy
6.41pm EDT 18:41
As for what he told the team back in the dressing room afterwards: “We are all together, they’ve been incredible to work with. They’ve given the country some unbelievable memories. Tonight will be extremely difficult for us of course, and you have to feel that disappointment because the opportunity to win trophies like this are so rare in your life. But when they reflect what they’ve done, they should be incredibly proud of themselves. At the moment, the pain of the defeat is huge, we wanted to give the nation one more special night and we weren’t able to do it. The World Cup feels a million miles away, but this team can be better and can improve, the number of young players we have blooded, they have been fantastic. But the future … yeah, I need a bit of time to reflect on that.” And then he leaves the stage, his heart broken, but with great dignity.
6.37pm EDT 18:37
More from England’s manager on the penalties. “We were well prepared and obviously started it well, but unfortunately the guys weren’t able to convert tonight. They can’t look at themselves in terms of how they practised because they couldn’t have done any more or anything better.”
Updated at 6.38pm EDT
6.35pm EDT 18:35
Gareth Southgate speaks to the BBC. “We’re hugely disappointed. The players have been an absolute credit, they’ve given everything they possibly could. They’ve run themselves into the ground. At times they played really well, at times we didn’t keep the ball quite well enough, especially at the start of the second half, but we can’t have any recriminations, they’ve been a joy to work with. They’ve gone further than we’ve gone for so long, but tonight it’s incredibly painful in that dressing room. It’s down to me. I decided on the penalty takers based on what they’ve done in training, and nobody is on their own. We won together as a team, and it’s on all of us for not being able to win the game tonight. But in terms of the penalties, that’s my call. It totally rests with me.”
6.26pm EDT 18:26
An understandably dejected Harry Kane talks to the BBC. “I couldn’t have given more, the boys couldn’t have given more. Penalties are obviously the worst feeling in the world when you lose. It wasn’t our night, but it’s been a fantastic tournament and we should be proud to hold our heads up high. It’s going to hurt now, but we’re on the right track and are building. Hopefully we can make progress from this next year. Italy are a great side. We got off to a perfect start and maybe dropped a little too deep, it’s easy to try to soak up the pressure and hold onto that. To be fair we looked fairly in control, and they got their break from the set piece. Penalties is penalties. We went through our process, the boys did everything they could, it just wasn’t our night. These things can happen. Anyone can miss a penalty. We win together, we lose together. The boys can grow from it, and it gives us motivation for the World Cup next year. We’re all winners, we want to win, and it will probably hurt for the rest of our careers, but that’s football.”
Harry Kane speaks to the media infront of celebrating Italian fans. Photograph: Marc Aspland/EURO 2020 Newpapers Pool
Updated at 6.57pm EDT
6.19pm EDT 18:19
The Wembley arch lights up in Azzurri blue. Fireworks top it off. Then the red, white and green of the Italian flag scrolls across the sky. Italy go off to jig about in front of their fans, while the smattering of English supporters who have stayed to congratulate the winners smile wryly. “There has been no shame in this defeat, nor the tournament performance for this team,” writes Graeme Thorn. “The majority of the squad are young enough to give 2022 and 2024 a real go and they definitely can build on this experience.”
Giorgio Chiellino and Leonardo Bonucci celebrates with the trophy in front of the Italian fans. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian The celebrations continue in the Italian dressing room. Photograph: Michael Regan/UEFA/Getty Images
Updated at 8.41pm EDT
6.16pm EDT 18:16
The first Italian up? The stricken Leonardo Spinazzola, on crutches. He hops up with the sunniest smile of the evening spread across his face; he deserves his gold medal as much as any of tonight’s finalists, on account of his brilliance up until his unfortunate injury. Once everyone gets their medal, Giorgio Chiellini, tears stinging his eyes, a grin as wide as the Wembley arch, takes possession of the Henri Delaunay Cup and, as ticker tape fills the air, hoists it high above his head. Italy are the winners of Euro 2020!
6.13pm EDT 18:13
Now Italy applaud their vanquished opponents, as Gareth Southgate leads his team to receive their silver medals. Most of them immediately take them off as they’re hung around their neck, but they’ll become precious baubles given time. A warm embrace between Southgate and Roberto Mancini.
Italy give England players a guard of honour to collect their runners up medals. Photograph: Kevin Quigley/EURO 2020 Newpapers Pool Gareth Southgate looks dejected after receiving the silver medal. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Updated at 6.51pm EDT
6.10pm EDT 18:10
Eder comes out with the Henri Delaunay Cup again, this time to hand it over to the new champions of Europe. Before that ceremony begins, Gianluigi Donnarumma is handed the award for Player of the Tournament. Then Italy form a guard of honour, applauding referee Bjorn Kuipers and his team as they go up to receive their commemorative trinkets.
6.08pm EDT 18:08
Southgate gathers his squad into a huddle. No doubt he’ll get some flak for sending on Rashford and Sancho to their fate, and for selecting the 19-year-old Saka to take the decisive fifth kick. But these are three sensational players, and things happen in football. Here’s to the country throwing a loving arm around all three, plus the manager, because they deserve to be cut all the slack for the joy they’ve given the country during this tournament … and for making England’s first final for 55 years. It hurts now, but it’s been a blast, right?
6.04pm EDT 18:04
Italy cavort. They were the better side tonight, and proved themselves the best team of the entire tournament. It’s a worthy victory. They’ve beaten favourites Belgium, a resurgent Spain, and now an excellent young England side. They’ve waited a long time for a second European Championship – 53 years – and will enjoy their party tonight!
The Italy players and squad celebrate in front of their fans. Photograph: Visionhaus/Getty Images The Italian legend Gianluca Vialli joins in with the celebrations. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Updated at 8.52pm EDT
6.02pm EDT 18:02
Gareth Southgate has been here before, and uses his experience to console poor Jadon Sancho, who looks more shocked than upset right now, though you suspect the tears won’t be long in coming. Who could blame the poor young lad? Bukayo Saka blows his cheeks out, utterly deflated. Jack Grealish stands with hands on hips. Harry Maguire wears a blank look as he struggles to process the disappointment. Harry Kane claps the fans who have chosen to stay and thank their heroes. Declan Rice tries to put on a brave face before crumbling. England have been brilliant this month, and came so close; it’s heartbreaking to see these young men so upset. But they can be proud of their efforts, each and every one. When the sting of defeat subsides, they’ll look back on this tournament with fondness.
England manager Gareth Southgate consoles Bukayo Saka. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
Updated at 8.32pm EDT
5.56pm EDT 17:56
RESULT: Italy 1-1 England (aet; Italy win 3-2 on pens)
As Donnarumma disappears under a pile of azzurri shirts, Saka dissolves into tears. Italy are champions of Europe again, for the first time since 1968! Congratulations to Italy, commiserations to England. England’s wait goes on; no trophy for their remarkable young squad, but they remain heroes all.
Italy celebrate after winning Euro 2020 after a penalty shootout. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters Italy’s players run past Bukayo Saka as they rush to celebrate after the England player’s penalty was saved. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian England players dejected as Italy team celebrate winning the penalty shootout. Photograph: Marc Aspland/EURO 2020 Newpapers Pool Italy celebrate their victory. Photograph: Kevin Quigley/EURO 2020 Newpapers Pool
Updated at 6.22pm EDT