Euro 2020: England fans go wild hours to go before biggest game in 55 years

England fans are going wild as they clamber onto buses outside Wembley, pack out pubs and set off flares at King’s Cross and Leicester Square before the Three Lions fight Italy for the Euro 2020 Championship in the national side’s biggest game for more than half a century. 

Supporters queued for hours outside pubs in the capital and cities across the country including Bristol to make sure they secure tables as 35 million people tune in to watch the once-in-a-generation clash on TV while 60,000 spectators cheer on Gareth Southgate’s men later today. 

The British Beer & Pub Association predicts England fans will buy 7.1 million pints as they watch England’s first major tournament final since the 1966 World Cup and the side’s victory over West Germany at Wembley.  

In a welcome economic boost, by the end of the competition it is estimated that £815million will have been spent in pubs and hospitality venues, with 32.6 million pints sold, a report by Vouchercodes.co.uk and the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) said.

The Queen, Prince William and Prime Minister Boris Johnson have all showered the Three Lions in praise, while thousands of England supporters urge the side to ‘bring it home’ on Twitter – with some fans revealing they have been so excited that they did not sleep last night. 

In a video message on the official England football Twitter account, Southgate – who has been praised for his leadership of the team – said the fans’ support has given them a ‘huge lift’.

He said: ‘We hope that you’ve enjoyed watching us play. I’m very grateful to all of the players and the incredible staff I’ve got with me, that we’ve been able to get to our first final for 55 years. But of course we know now we’ve got to deliver for you, so we’ll be doing everything we can. 

‘Your support and energy has given us a huge lift, and I know it will on Sunday.’

The Duke of Cambridge praised manager Southgate, captain Harry Kane and ‘every member of the England team on and off the pitch’ in a video message on his official Twitter account, as he said: ‘I can’t really believe this is happening’ and wished the squad ‘the very best of luck’.   

William, the President of the FA, appeared to be crossing his fingers for an England win while at Wimbledon yesterday, where he and Kate attended the grand slam to watch Australia’s Ashleigh Barty win the tennis Championship in an epic three-set final against Karolina Pliskova.

The duke said: ‘Gareth, Harry and to every member of the England team on and off the pitch, just want to wish you the very best of luck tonight. What a team performance it’s been, everyone in the squad has played their part. All the backroom team as well have been truly essentially. 

‘I can’t really believe this is happening. So exciting and I just wish you the very best of luck. You bring out the very best of England and we are all behind you. The whole country is behind you. So, bring it home.’  

A number of schools have already said they will allow pupils to start later on Monday if they wish to and some employers are considering letting staff enjoy a celebratory – or consolatory – lie-in after what could be a very late night. The final is due to kick off at 8pm and will finish by 10pm if it ends in normal time, but could end closer to 11pm if there is extra time or a penalty shootout. 

The official England Twitter account posted this morning: ‘A matchday like no other’ – sparking a flurry of excited and anxious messages. One expectant fan wrote: ‘Massive day ahead, first final for @England in my lifetime. Wherever you’re watching it, whatever your plans are, enjoy! Proud of the squad and what they’ve done so far, but they can lift that trophy!’

Another said: ‘Today is the day! The sun’s out, enjoy it, embrace it, soak up the atmosphere!! The excitement, the nerves, the butterflies in the stomach. Go mad!! Who knows when or if this day will come again! #ItsComingHome’.

One tweeted: ‘Been up since 5am cos of today. Couldn’t sleep at all! C’mon @England #ItsComingHome #ENG’ – with another writing on Twitter: ‘Morning everyone, anybody got any sleep last night or feeling nervous ahead of #ITAENG #ItsComingHome Come on #ENG @England’.  

England captain Harry Kane said his team hopes to do the nation proud in their bid for Euro 2020 glory. He told reporters at a press conference last night: ‘We want to go and bring the trophy home’ – adding: ‘We know how much it means to the English fans all over the country so we’re proud to be representing them and hopefully we can do them proud again.’

The Queen paid tribute to the ‘spirit, commitment and pride’ of the squad in a good luck message ahead of tonight’s final, while her grandson the Duke of Cambridge said it is ‘so exciting’ to get to this point.   

The Prime Minister told Southgate and the players they had ‘already made history’ by reaching the final, writing: ‘You have lifted the spirits of the whole country, and tomorrow we know you can lift that trophy too. We are not just hoping or praying. 

‘We believe in you, Gareth, and your incredible squad.’       

As the nation rallies behind the England football squad, it emerged: 

• Gareth Southgate will receive a knighthood if England win but will be awarded a CBE regardless of the result;
• David Baddiel and Frank Skinner are banned by UEFA from performing Three Lions at the start of the match because it would be ‘unfair’ to Italy;
• Southgate reveals he ‘couldn’t stand’ the It’s Coming Home refrain for 15 years after his penalty miss in 1996 ;
• The England manager urged fans not to boo the Italian national anthem, saying it could inspire them;
• Harry Kane revealed Tom Cruise FaceTimed the England team on Friday night to wish the players luck;
• UEFA fined England £26,000 after a fan shone a laser into the eye of Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel before Harry Kane’s penalty in the semi final; 
• Euros fever has delivered a £3.4billion spending spree on partying, drinking, souvenir merchandise and supersize TVs, analysts said;
• The NHS is braced for a surge in heart attacks as the stress of watching football takes its toll on the nation’s health;   
• Ministers have been told to stop using the phrase ‘It’s coming home’ – a reference to the England football anthem Three Lions – because it annoys other countries.

Across England, fans have been savouring the run-up to a game that could see the country crowned champions of Europe. Houses have been bedecked with flags amid a surge in demand for England-themed paraphernalia and the Shard in London was lit up in the team colours.

Residents on Wales Street, in Oldham, Greater Manchester have even patriotically renamed their road in honour of the Three Lions – England Street, with a new red-and-white sign erected above the original. 

A good luck message from David Baddiel, Frank Skinner and the Lightning Seeds – who are behind the anthemic Three Lions (Football’s Coming Home) – has been projected onto the white cliffs of Dover ahead of the match. 

A couple paid tribute to Southgate, Kane and Raheem Sterling ahead of England’s Euro 2020 final with a huge mural on the side of their house.

Kate and Paul William asked street artists Nathan Parker – aka N4T4 – to create the piece to help them celebrate England’s progress. It has turned the wall, at their home in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, into a hotspot for fans who have been visiting ‘in droves’ to see the mural.

Kate said: ‘He woke up after the semi-finals and said ‘I have had a dream’ and the dream was we have got to decorate that wall. He said he wanted something amazing, and said ‘if they build it they will come’ and said he wanted something historic and about the moment.’

‘The community went going crazy for it – coming in their droves, pipping horns, photos galore, music playing, its brought the community together. They’re seeing what art can do too, that’s what’s happened, ultimately, and football has brought everyone together.

‘The husband’s dream was a pretty good one to have, I’ll let him have that one.’

Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham insists England’s ‘band of brothers’ remain calm ahead of the final.

‘The mood in the camp is very calm. They are aware of what a fantastic opportunity this is, they are aware of the excitement throughout the country, but the mood in the camp is calm and they are looking forward to it,’ Bullingham told The Andrew Marr Show on BBC One.

‘I think one of the things that Gareth (Southgate) has managed to do, along with the support team, is build a really strong environment, there’s a fantastic ‘band of brothers’ feeling and togetherness, but there is also a really strong resilience there and they are really supportive of each other.

‘He (Southgate) is genuinely calm, he’s one of the calmest people in the country. He is so well prepared and he has a good support team around him. He is in a good place.’ 

Former England right-back Gary Neville, who along with Southgate experienced semi-final heartbreak as a player at Euro 96, stressed that today was ‘not a day to be nervous’.

Discussing how the players would be feeling on Sunday morning compared to his own experiences with the national team, Neville told Sky Sports News: ‘If you think about 1996 and Gareth’s abuse he received after missing that penalty, (David) Beckham in ’98 and then my brother (Phil Neville) in 2000, it was a very pressurised situation with England because you weren’t performing at a level and there was a different way in which they approached it from a media point as well.

‘These lads haven’t got that cynicism, they haven’t got that pain and dismay embedded within themselves, so I suspect that now they must be feeling on top of the world this morning, excited.

‘I know there are a lot of fans nervous up and down the country but this isn’t a day to be nervous. I don’t feel nervous at all. It’s a moment and a day that this country’s been waiting for such a long time. I think the pressure moment was actually against Scotland or against Germany in the second round.

‘We’ve gone past those things with this team, so this team have proven they can jump hurdles that none have done before in the last 55 years, and I suspect that they’ll be feeling really comfortable.’

Former England boss Terry Venables, who led the Three Lions to the last four of the Euros 25 years ago, has written an open letter to Southgate in The Sun.

Venables said: ‘I will be with you in spirit on that touchline. I knew exactly how, and what you were feeling as those incredible days which brought the country together back in ’96 came flooding back to me, feelings which cannot be fully appreciated unless you are standing on that spot.

‘As you know, sport teaches us so many lessons about life and the saying, ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’ is so true. Having watched all of the games, I have to say that your team are a credit to you as mine were to me, and I know that to achieve a connection like that is a luxury many managers could never accomplish. 

‘Enjoy every moment of your day on Sunday, knowing that our wonderful country are all behind you and your team cheering you on, willing you the success which you all deserve.’

In her written message, the Queen recalled presenting the Jules Rimet trophy to Bobby Moore after England beat then West Germany in the World Cup – almost six decades ago.

She said: ‘Fifty-five years ago I was fortunate to present the World Cup to Bobby Moore and saw what it meant to the players, management and support staff to reach and win the final of a major international football tournament.

‘I want to send my congratulations and that of my family to you all on reaching the final of the European Championships, and send my good wishes for tomorrow with the hope that history will record not only your success but also the spirit, commitment and pride with which you have conducted yourselves.’   

The squad are thought to have watched the as-yet unreleased sequel to Top Gun as they spent Friday night together. Before the screening, they were called by its star Tom Cruise, who delivered a good luck message.

Southgate last night said he was focused on ‘bringing the trophy home’, adding: ‘It has been fantastic to have the letter from the Queen and the Prime Minister to all of the team and the recognition that the players have gone about this in the right way, but we’re in a final and we’re here to win.’

As many as 35 million people are expected to watch the match on BBC and ITV, potentially eclipsing the previous TV viewing record of 32.3 million for the 1966 final. If England triumph, Mr Johnson is expected to announce an extra Bank Holiday on Friday August 27, and Southgate is likely to receive a knighthood. 

Analysts estimate that victory tonight could deliver a £10billion boost to the economy. England’s success in the tournament has already seen £3.4billion splurged on partying, drinking, souvenir merchandise and supersize TVs, according to retail experts. 

Tickets for the game – the most eagerly anticipated for more than half a century – were last night changing hands for up to £15,000. Wembley will welcome a crowd of 65,000, of whom just 6,000 will be cheering on Italy. 

Some fans decided to settle any pre-match nerves by hitting the pubs and bars last night, and the English nation will be hoping to continue the party atmosphere long into the night with a famous win over Roberto Mancini’s Italy, who trounced Spain in their semi-final at Wembley. 

The Metropolitan Police has urged fans not to come to London unless they have match tickets or somewhere booked to watch the game. The force said it will be deploying ‘a great many officers and specialist units to prevent crime and disorder and respond to any incidents right across London’.

London’s transport network will display digital well wishes across the capital, visible at Tube stations, the DLR and London Overground as well as at bus stops and on road traffic alert signs. 

Earlier, hundreds of fans lined the roads near the team’s St George’s Park training base in Staffordshire to send their England heroes off to the final in style.

They spent last night at The Grove hotel near Watford, a few miles from Wembley, where they waved at more crowds of cheering supporters. Kane said: ‘We have been knocking down barriers on the way but we have to go out there and win it. 

‘To see the fans on the street and see the reception we have had, it has just shown us how big an occasion it is.’

The Italian team, who are on a 33-game unbeaten run, were greeted by fans as they flew in from their training base in Florence to Luton Airport yesterday afternoon before boarding a coach to Tottenham Hotspurs’ training ground in Enfield, North London. They will prepare for the match at the nearby £400-a-night Birch Hotel.

In a touching tribute, Harry Kane’s wife Kate, who met her husband while they were at school together and now has three children with the Spurs striker, penned an emotional message to her husband telling him ‘you’re making us all proud’.

She said: ‘You know I’m not one to cry too easily but I found myself in tears when I started writing down how proud you’re making us all and what you’re doing for the country… You’re just such an amazing husband and dad, and the children can’t wait to have you home.

‘Imagine telling them all about this summer one day when they’re a bit older.’ 

Covid-19 restrictions have separated the team from their families for the last four weeks.

Asked about his wife’s letter, Kane said: ‘My oldest, she is four and six months, she is still a little bit young, I don’t think she understands the magnitude of tomorrow night. Of course she wants first and foremost me to come home, but if football comes home as well we’ll all be delighted.’

Last night, relatives of some of the players were enjoying the build-up. The mothers of defenders Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw posted pictures from Central London, where the two families enjoyed champagne and cocktails. 

The Three Lions squad are in line for a £9 million bonus if they lift the trophy, but have indicated that they will donate it to NHS Charities Together.

Last night, Southgate joined calls from No 10 not to boo the Italian national anthem. ‘We know that when we play abroad and fans boo our anthem it inspires them more,’ said the England manager. ‘I don’t think it will help the team.’ 

The call came after Uefa slapped the English FA with a near £26,000 fine for fans jeering the Danish anthem before the semi-final, setting off fireworks and shining a laser pen at goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.

Earlier, Southgate urged the nation to ‘stop looking at the negatives of our own country’ because ‘England has so much to be proud of’ as he rallied millions of patriotic fans.

Invoking the courage of a Second World War generation, England’s manager said Britain should not be ashamed of its history – as he praised his squad’s role in driving ‘tolerance and inclusion’. 

Southgate acknowledged that Britain’s history likely contributed to the support from the 40,000 fans inside Wembley when England  beat Germany last week.

He said: ‘People have tried to invade us and we’ve had the courage to hold that back.  You can’t hide that some of the energy in the stadium against Germany was because of that. I never mentioned that to the players, but I know that’s part of what that story was.

‘At heart I go back to the values that my parents gave me and treating people as you would want to be treated. Just respectful, really.’ 

Southgate added that ‘there are positive things that we could help to change or influence in society’. 

‘The longer I’ve been in the role the more I’ve understood the importance for our fans of that connection with the team. They felt part of it and that inclusivity is really important to us because I think that’s what modern England is,’ he said.

‘We know it hasn’t always been the case and there’s historic reasons for that, but that level of tolerance and inclusion is what we have to be about moving forward.’

Speaking at a press conference on Saturday evening, Southgate urged fans not to boo the Italian anthem while also playing down claims abroad that ‘It’s Coming Home’ is fuelled by English arrogance.

He said: ‘It’s important that our fans always respect the opposition and we know that in actual fact when we play abroad and fans boo our anthem it probably inspires us even more. I don’t think it helps the team. We can intimidate the team with booing during the game, but it’s different with the anthem, I think we should be respectful.’

On the popular Three Lions song, first released in 1996 when the Euros were last held in Wembley, Southgate added: ‘I didn’t want to listen to it for 15 years because it was too painful for me. You have to know the English to understand our humour. Our humour is quite unique but it’s certainly not arrogant.

‘The lyrics are making fun of ourselves and the things that have gone wrong.’ 

Scots moan about being forced to watched ‘unbearable’ Euros coverage through ‘an entirely English lens’ – as sales of Italian flags and shirts soar amid calls for a Bank Holiday if ITALY win

Sales of Italian flags and shirts are soaring in Scotland ahead of the Euro 2020 final tonight – amid tongue-in-cheek calls for a bank holiday if England lose the match and complaints of coverage of the tournament through an ‘English lens’. 

While chants of ‘It’s Coming Home’ have returned in full fervour to the streets in hopes of a long-awaited big win, there is somewhat less excitement north of the border.  

Millions of England fans will be wearing red and white shirts in living rooms and pubs across the country, with 60,000 supporters set to cheer on Gareth Southgate’s men at Wembley Stadium.

The Queen, Prince William and have all praised the Three Lions ahead of the side’s first major final since the 1966 World Cup final tonight.

But the Scotsman reports that sales for Italian shirts and flags have soared in Scotland ahead of tonight’s finale, claiming it is related somewhat to Scotland’s ‘deep and rich history with Italy’, and not simply ‘clear Scottish distaste of It’s Coming Home’.

It adds that the popular Glasgow Italian restaurant Eusebi Deli, established in 1954, is fully booked, offering pasta in the colours of the flag of Italy – within an atmosphere of tricolore bunting.

‘It’s more about Scotland’s support of Italy than Scotland being against England,’ assistant manager Ryan Simmons said.

One pub in Glasgow, The Brazen Head, was pictured with Italian flags waving outside ahead of the game.   

The National reported that the BBC is being urged to stop covering football tournaments through an ‘entirely English lens’.

SNP MP Gavin Newlands said other parts of the UK have to endure coverage which is of ‘no relevance or interest to them’.

For their July 10 front page, The National had run a story titled: ‘Save us Roberto, you’re our Final Hope (We can’t take another 55 years of them banging on about this).’

It featured a picture of Roberto Mancini, the Italian team manager, donning blue face paint similar to that worn by Scottish hero William Wallace, as portrayed by Mel Gibson in the film Braveheart.

A poll from the UEFA EURO 2020 Twitter page asked social media users who they want to win the game.

Just 41.2 per cent voted for England, with the remaining 58.8 per cent voting for Italy.

Kate Hoey, Baroness of Lylehill and Rathlin, this morning tweeted: ‘If England become European champions tonight it will be a win for the whole of the United Kingdom,Wales,Northern Ireland and Scotland. We are all British and will celebrate.’

One social media user replied: ‘I had a conversation with my friend who is Scottish and she is supporting Italy because ‘they played well through the tournament’ I said she should support her neighbours after all we all live on the same island, to which she said ”no one in Scotland is supporting England.” ‘

But another replied: ‘I’m Scottish and supporting England. I know several others who are too.’

Writing in the Edinburgh Evening News earlier this week, MSP Angus Robertson, also part of the Scottish National Party, said he would be ‘delighted’ if England beat Italy.

He added that the ‘inspirational leadership by the most likeable and inspiring England manager I can remember’, along with a ‘lack of hubris and entitlement by Gareth Southgate’s players’ mean that ‘supporting England will be a great deal easier than past competitions’.

The Daily Record’s Sports Hotline published a piece titled ‘England are overrated despite Euro 2020 final unless we’re talking about diving skills’.

In it, one commentator says that the English media would be ‘so unbearable to listen to between now and Sunday night’, adding: ‘Even Sue Barker, Andrew Castle and Tim Henman won’t be able to shut up about it during the Wimbledon coverage and that is a different ball game altogether.’

But one contributor was pleased for the victory over Denmark, adding that England were ‘the better side… soft penalty aside’.

He added: ‘Gareth Southgate is a top bloke and has done brilliantly in getting England to a Final. Although I fear Italy will prove too strong, here’s hoping England prove me wrong.’

But another Scot was not quite so happy about his fellow Britons going through to the final, writing: ‘Funny how England went through on a own goal and as for their players diving, Sterling, Harry Kane and Jack Grealish are experts.

‘The fact a commentator said he doesn’t care that he dived as long as they are through goes to show that it wasn’t a penalty. C’mon Italy.’

The Glasgow Times ran a piece informing readers of the Italian football team’s anthems, including ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’, which translates to ‘The Song of the Italians’.

The song’s lyrics include repetitions of ‘siam pronti alla morte, siam pronti alla morte’ meaning ‘we are ready to die, we are ready to die’.

But the most common chant is repeating ‘Po po po po po po po’ to the Seven Nation Army riff.

The Press and Journal’s ‘Flying Pigs’ comment piece yesterday said it was ‘great to watch Scotland thrash England 0-0 at Wembley’

One commentator said the country’s team had ‘done themselves proud, especially when they thrashed England 0-0 down at Wembley, and the tail between their legs held high’.

He added he would be ‘waving the St George’s cross and singing ”tree lines on the shirt” with pride. But I will be drinking chianti and eating spaghetti bolognese for my tea.’

‘All of Europe supports us’: Italy’s papers brag that ‘The Brexit Effect’ will mean Roberto Mancini’s men have huge support against England in Euro 2020 final… as they urge the Azzurri and Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini to make it a Super Sunday

Italian papers have not been shy to bring Brexit into the equation as they urge their long-unbeaten footballers and tennis star Matteo Berrettini to take one more step in London, winning Wimbledon and Euro 2020 to seal a momentous day for their nation.

World number nine Berrettini faces a huge test to shock defending champion Novak Djokovic in the final at SW19 this afternoon, before the Italian media will be desperate for their side to win at Wembley in a contest that looks far more difficult to predict.

England can earn ‘wonderful revenge against Europe’, says La Stampa, after being ‘humiliated’ in Brexit negotiations – and the outlet even claims that victory would ‘light the fire of recovery’ for the British economy during the pandemic.

The paper notes the ‘Brexit Effect’ has the EU swaying towards Italy and Ursula Von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, and European Council chief Charles Michel are among the major political names hoping the Azzurri will win, according to La Stampa. ‘Europe Cheers on Italy’, it adds.

Tuttosport uses the headling ‘For you, for us,’ setting the roaring Berrettini and the celebrating Italy players and staff side-by-side on its front page.

Djokovic has backed Italy, where he spends plenty of his time as a fluent Italian speaker, and quipped that he hopes theirs will be the only major sporting victory of the day in green, white and red. 

Several papers reference the England team’s support for Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights – two issues that have been prominent during the finals.

England wants to demonstrate ‘moral supremacy’ to Europe, according to one Italian observer, adding that the English are free from being ‘the bringers of a superior moral authority’ and ‘showing foreigners how things should be done’ in the aftermath of leaving the EU. 

Marco Verratti, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Jorginho are a ‘galactic trio’ who will ‘bewitch Wembley’, according to the Corriere dello Sport, which warns that ‘Italy’s top players can make the difference’. 

The paper’s front page headline is ‘Such a big love’, reflecting one of Italy’s official songs.

Ex-Valencia player Amedeo Carboni believes England have a five percent higher chance than Italy of winning because they are at home, although he also cautions that they could feel the pressure because of that.

In Spanish oracle Diario AS, tactical expert Axel Torres believes that the contest could boil down to a battle of goalkeepers – and he picks Donnarumma to outshine Jordan Pickford. 

‘Write the story’, urges Quotidiano Sportivo, even involving Big Ben as they place Italy livewire Federico Chiesa and Berrettini either side of the landmark.

French paper L’Equipe reinforces the theme of Europe rooting for Italy, claiming that 69 per cent of French fans will be behind the visitors, with a mere fifth wanting England to win and a further 20 percent remaining neutral.

The Corriere della Sera insists that Italy ‘launch an assault’ on England in their bid to become champions for the first time in 53 years. Their opponents, as the vast majority of the Wembley crowd will be keenly aware, have never won the title.

The now-familiar subversion of England’s unofficial anthem is used by Il Romanista on its front page, advertising that ‘It’s Coming Rome’ alongside a photo of Leonardo Spinazzola enjoying himself on Italy’s flight to London.

Swashbuckling Spinazzola was having an excellent tournament out wide for his country before sustaining a long-term knee injury, but he has remained part of the Italian group and was pictured with them at Tottenham’s training centre after they landed.

Il Romanista also includes a photo of Berrettini, who is the first Italian man ever to reach the Wimbledon final and the first to reach a Grand Slam final since Adriano Panatta in 1976.

‘Do it, Azzurri’, comes the war cry from La Gazzetta Sportiva, which includes Mancini eyeing up the Henri Delauney Cup from behind a throne.

Sportiva also makes space for Berrettini beneath a couple of Italian players on what could be one of the most remarkable days in Italian sporting history.

‘Italy challenge England for the European throne,’ it thunders, adding that this is a ‘Sunday for lions.’

VIEW FROM ITALY 

With the Euro 2020 final on the horizon, there was plenty of sleepless nights among Italians dreaming of glory and seeing the Azzurri bring home their first major title since the 2006 World Cup.

It was a lively evening on Saturday back home ahead of tonight’s match – which is a historic date in the sporting calendar for Italy following the nightmare journey they have been on after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup following defeat to Sweden in the play-off, when managed under Gian Piero Ventura.

But Roberto Mancini has rejuvenated Italy, having the courage to reshape his squad with some lesser names while also inheriting some experienced players. 

The likes of Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Federico Bernardeschi, Giacomo Raspadori, Domenico Berardi, Rafael Toloi, Francesco Acerbi, Manuel Locatelli and Bryan Cristante arguably would not have participated at this summer’s Euros under a different manager.

But he has got his squad ticking and now Mancini has Italy dreaming of Euros success, their first since 1968, and shattering English hearts in their national stadium.

And back home in Italy, everyone is distracted by what lies in store – and the country is at a standstill as they gear up for the Euros final.

After a morning in the sea, Italian fans are heading back to their homes in time for the final – and will start ordering superstituous Margherita pizzas for the game with their family and friends.

In Naples, there is expected to be a hike of 80% more home delivery of pizzas, according to the most popular pizzerias in the city. 

But while fans are relishing what’s in store and looking forward to a night in front of the television or frequenting the local bars, the greatest fear of Italians is whether their players may become frightened in the battle at Wembley.