Euro 2020: England fans proud after loss

Fans gathered in the streets to witness England take on Italy in the final of Euro 2020. The showpiece of the tournament, which had to be postponed due to the pandemic, was played at the iconic Wembley Stadium in a feverish atmosphere.

It had been 55 years since England’s men had made it to a final and there was a wave of expectation despite Italy’s run of 33 matches unbeaten.

Luke Shaw fired England into the lead from the whistle and Italy levelled midway through the second half. Ninety minutes and extra time couldn’t produce a victor, so penalty kicks would determine the result.

Two misses apiece in the nail-biting shoot-out meant that it fell to 19 year old England forward Bokayo Saka to keep England hopes alive. However, he was denied by the Italian goalkeeper and there was no way back for England.

England fan Geraldine reflects on the match.

Geraldine Howard: "Gutted, absolutely gutted – but, you know, they made history. They got us to the first finals in 55 years. So, still got to be proud of them for what they achieved. Just absolutely gutted that it come down to penalties and we lost really, so... ."

England’s young team has received public recognition for donating their salary to the NHS and for speaking out on racism. Manager Gareth Southgate has been praised for building a strong team.

Ruhel has high hopes.

Ruhel: "I think this England team is very likeable, they’re very relatable. It's a very diverse England team, so I think a lot of people can, you know, buy into the whole, whole ethos that Gareth is building. So yeah, I think, I think going into the World Cup next year, I think it's going to continue, yeah – this, this positive momentum."

England fans’ chant of the tournament, ‘It’s coming home,’ didn’t come true as the trophy heads to Rome in the hands of the victorious Italian team. View Less