Iconic Euros moments: Throwback to England v Italy (2021)
Ahead of Euro 2024, we will start looking back at some iconic moments from previous competitions.
First up is a recap of the final of the last tournament.
You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. What were your memories of that memorable night? HIGHLIGHTS | More penalty pain for England as Italy win Euro 2020 (youtube.com)
England's hopes of ending a 55-year wait for a major trophy were crushed heartbreakingly as they lost 3-2 on penalties to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley.
On a night of incredible tension played in a feverish atmosphere, England looked on course for their most joyous day since the 1966 World Cup final when Luke Shaw gave them the dream start after only two minutes.
Italy eventually edged their way back into the game and were level in the 67th minute when Leonardo Bonucci pounced after England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford turned Marco Verratti's header onto the post.
England look ahead to Euro 2024. Find out more
After a stressful period of extra time where both teams failed to find a winner, it was on to the lottery of penalties. It was ultimately bitter disappointment for England manager Gareth Southgate and his players, who had gone into this final on a wave of expectation and high emotion.
England's years of hurt go on but it looked for the first 30 minutes of this final that the moment a nation has waited more than 20,000 days for was finally arriving.
What are your memories?
"This was an Italy team that looked out of sorts..."
Jamie, an England fan who was at the match, said: "Thinking back, you will always explore how this game started with England scoring within the first couple of minutes and how they were playing in the first 15 or 20 minutes. This was an Italy team that looked out of sorts and simply unable to do much of anything outside of Federico Chiesa for a large portion of the first half.
"England's mistake in this match was that they settled for a 1-0 lead. Instead of continuing to press and not allowing the Azzurri to do much of anything right, they sat back and allowed Italy to get back to how they wanted to play. This resulted in England losing control of the game, and ultimately losing the match."
"Italy proved their pedigree..."
Maroa, a neutral fan, said: "Mancini skillfully combined young and experienced players in his team. In defence, he was able to count on two experienced players, Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini.
"Throughout the tournament, Italy proved their pedigree with wins over Belgium and Spain in the knockout stage and were unfazed by having to face a thunderous Wembley packed with England fans."
Interesting stats
This win in 2021 was Italy's second European Championship title, the first in 53 years (since 1968). This surpassed the previous longest gap between championships by a single nation, which was Spain's 44-year wait from 1964 to 2008.
England has the lowest shootout success rate among European nations involved in three or more major tournaments. They have won only two out of nine (22%) of their shootouts at the World Cup or Euros.
