Pritish Mitra II
11 th July 2021, Wembley. The stage was set for the UEFA Euro 2020 final. 60,000 fans, the 2 best teams of the tournament in Italy and England and 1winner. It was all to play for. The Azzuri looking to round off a 34-match unbeaten run, over 3 years, with a win. On the other hand, the 3 lions were all set to end their 55 years of hurt.
The spectacle began with Luke Shaw scoring the fastest goal in a European Championship final match, in the second minute. The english left back scored from a Kieran Trippier cross and added to his stats, in what proved to be stellar campaign for him. The fans went ‘loco’. Football was finally coming home…. or was it? The italians soon gained control as they maintained possession for longstretches. Federico Chiesa was proving to be a thorn to the side of the english defence. His directness, speed and dribbling wrecked havoc in the opposition half. However, it wasn’t until the 67 th minute, that Italy’s efforts paid off. A corner flicked on at the front post fell kindly for Leonardo Bonucci who was more than happy to tap the ball in. It was all square and on top of that the azzuri looked set to capitalise on the momentum they had built. But that didn’tturn out to be the case as the efforts for a winner by both sides, went in vain. After 120 minutes of football, it was 1 all. Both managers had made their moves with the substitutions and it was time for penalties. Both, Berrardi and Kane scored their respective spot kicks meanwhile Jordan Pickford saved Belotti’s spot kick. Harry Maguire put his team in front with a fierce kick that left one of the cameras for dead. Leo Bonucci converted his penalty as hetopped off an incredible display in the final, followed by Rashford missing and Bernadeschi scoring their repective spot kicks. Then stepped-up Gigi Donnarumma as the 22-year-old giant saved Jadon Sancho’s and Bukayo Saka’s decisive penalty to seal the deal, inspite of Pickford denying Jorginho from the spot. It was over. Delight and eccstasy for the azzuri and as for the 3 lions, theircount didn’t stop at 55.
Both sides displayed exceptional defensive displays but it was Italy who came on top, due to a number of factors. An absolute masterclass by the 2 veteran centre backs- Chiellini and Bonucci along with Donnarumma. Jorginho and Verratti playing ‘keep ball’ around Phillips and Rice, with the England and West Ham midfielder dropping one of his best performances ever. Chiesa, who sadly couldn’t complete the game due to an injury, was an absolute joy to watch. The credits however, are incomplete without mentioning the Ringmaster or Mr. Roberto Mancini. 34 games unbeaten spanned over 3 years….from not qualifying for the 2018 World Cup to European Champions, these stats and figures make Mr. Mancini deserving of all the accolades and recognitioncoming his way.
And as for Mr. Southgate and his 26 lions, they didn’t bring football home but what they brought home was 4 weeks of bliss mixed with pride and thrill, emotions that can only be felt, not described. A new England team had been unveiled, one that can not only be looked up to, but also be related to. Even before a ball had been kicked, his team was labelled as the ‘hyped ones’. But the 3 lions went from strength to strength and somewhat made fans fall in love with the team, not just for their skills on the football pitch but also for what they are and stand for, off it.
The month-long carnival had come to its end. It gave us something to cheer and cherish for the rest of our lives. Some wise men once said, “The happiest memories are the greatest joys of life”. And boy, did we make some memories….
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