Leonardo Bonucci couldn’t resist poking fun at England in the immediate aftermath of Italy’s penalty shootout victory over Italy to win Euro 2020 as he screamed ‘it’s coming to Rome!’ into a nearby TV camera on the pitch.
Luke Shaw got England off to a dream start at Wembley with the fastest ever goal at a European Championship final inside two minutes but it was Bonucci’s scrambled effort from close range which levelled up the score midway through the second half.
The two teams could not be separated in extra time and Jordan Pickford looked to have dragged the Three Lions back into shootout as he denied Jorginho’s spot-kick with a superb save down low to his right after earlier stopping Andrea Belotti.
But Bukayo Saka’s decisive effort was palmed away by an inspired Gianluigi Donnarumma which sent the visiting players into raptures as England’s 55-year wait for major silverware continued.
Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, who were both introduced in extra time, also failed to convert from 12 yards for the hosts in nail-biting penalty competition.
Shortly after Italy prevailed to win their second European Championship title, Roberto Mancini’s squad celebrated wildly in front of a shell-shocked crowd and television viewers were left open-mouthed at Bonucci’s savage reaction.
The stalwart Juventus centre-back, who added to his 67th-minute strike with another goal in the shootout, could be heard yelling, ‘it’s coming to Rome!’, a clear reference to England’s famous ‘it’s coming home’ saying.
Bonucci was later named ‘Star of the Match’ for his outstanding showing at both ends of the pitch, nine years after he was on the losing side in Italy’s thumping 4-0 defeat to Spain in the final.
Speaking to ITV shortly after the final whistle, Italian skipper Chiellini applauded his team’s reaction to going behind at such an early stage of the match and reserved special praise for goalkeeper Donnarumma.
‘It was a tough game, starting in the worst way possible,’ Chiellini told ITV shortly after the final whistle.
‘England scored after two minutes and it’s difficult because the fans and the stadium give the energy to England.
‘But we were calm and it was important because we start to lead the match from 15 minutes and then we start to play, play, play, play.
We were calm also at the end of the first half, we spoke all together and we say: “Play, play play!”
‘We find the right pass and right shot and we have to control the game. This is the way to win.’
On Donnaruma’s heroics in the shootout, Chiellini added: ‘I was lucky but I played with Gianluigi Buffon and now I play with Donarrumma.
‘They are the same!’
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