20 highlights of Euro 2020: Italy’s final win over England, national team and player dramas
Euro 2020 is everything. Historical tournament. Historical in everything: in date, format and circumstances. And it was also different: very drive, but sometimes hypocritical due to strange security standards. Dramatic and sometimes sad. For some, it ended at the stage of the group stage.
After this amazing tournament, I collected 20 reasons why I will not forget Euro. If you have anything to add – let’s arrange a census of the most memorable moments in the comments.
In the meantime – a portion of nostalgia from me. Nostalgia for the tournament that ended a day ago.
1. Hungarians reminded us that football is more important than political or social wrapping. For this they received a punishment of two matches without spectators, but at least the users of the “Championship” fell in love with themselves. Football, dedication and a clear concept: football comes first.
Photo: Darko Bandic – Pool / Getty Images
2. Before the matches, they sat on their knees. Italy did not support the action, but at the final it sat down out of solidarity with the British. Otherwise, someone sat down. Some don’t. Some were annoyed and inspired by accusations of treason. Supporting or canceling the BLM promotion – it became news every time.
Photo: Frank Augstein / Getty Images
3. English fans. After watching videos from their drunken parties, I wanted one thing – to wash. The polluted city centers, the crucified naked people with the English flag, the free riders’ breakout at Wembley and the fights inside the stadium – all this is about Euro 2020 and football that returned home in a perverted form.
Photo: HGL / Getty Images
4. It’s coming hometurned into It’s coming to Rome!
5. Festive and football Petersburg. Where you could forget about the environment of the pandemic, admire the visiting fans and their friendship with ours. Finns in masks of owls and playing football right in the subway car. Or Swedes in women’s suits. Belgians and Swiss who arrived through a bunch of transfers.
6. And a wonderful friendship our non-English speaking fans. For example, on the beach overlooking the St. Petersburg stadium, a Russian couple approached the Swedes and asked to be photographed in their T-shirts. With the promise that everyone in Russia is vaccinated and it is safe. It was noticeable: we are glad to have guests!
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
7. Supporting the weak and losing Petersburg. They sang here in the name of Sommer and the Polish national team – and they did much more for the friendship of our countries than any politician.
8. Sommer! And his line: “I’m going to call Robert De Niro and ask if he wants to play me in a movie!”
Photo: Dmitry Golubovich, “Championship”
9. Chiesa. According to me, he is the best and most useful player not only in Italy, but in the whole Euro. Right-hander performing with the left foot. A modest person and the author of very understandable, but very effective false swings and reversals. His play is emanating from courtyard artistry, which is why Chiesa and his play are understandable and close to the people. And he and his dad are the only father and son to score in the European Championship.
Photo: Claudio Villa / Getty Images
10. Tense relations between Russia and Ukraine. In the fan zone in St. Petersburg, the goals of Shevchenko’s team were rejoicing. They wrote different things in the comments. At the stadium in Glasgow, a man with a Russian flag and a hat with earflaps got it.
11.Sergey Karasev – the conscience of this Euro. He reached the semifinals, where he played the role of a reserve referee, and after the tournament he recorded an appeal to the fans from the country house with an electric guitar.
12. Football magic. Especially on the day of matches of the 1/8 finals. Especially with the participation of Spain and Switzerland. Thanks to these teams, football definitely got new fans, and we all got matches that we want to watch.
Football, I fell in love with you again! Thanks to Switzerland, France and the hairy guy
13. The united national team of Denmark. A team surrounded by beer rain and popular support. It seems that reaching the semifinals is not yet the limit. And even more, it seems that many will want to visit this country.
And, of course, Eriksen. It was very scary for him. But from this Euro he took away one big and very important personal victory.
Christian Eriksen
Photo: Getty Images
14. Patrick Schick and his magic cannon.
15. The stately and self-confident coach Andriy Shevchenko and his press conference in Russian. And also the captain’s power of Yarmolenko, expressed in a gorgeous goal for the Dutch, a positive press conference with bottles and a killer movement for the opponent during the matches.
Shevchenko is the ideal coach for the national team. That would be like this for Russia!
16. Cheerful and magical moves Chiellini before the penalty shootout. In the semifinals, he hugged, kissed and at the same time pecked Alba, and before the final series he approached the Englishmen standing in a circle, looked down at them confidently and haughtily, and went to his team.
Photo: Claudio Villa / Getty Images
And also at the championship press conference, his teammate and the author of the Italian goal in the final Bonucci took a sip of beer and washed it down with cola (a reference to the actions of Cristiano).
Experienced Italian defenders – you are super!
17. Furious lion Lewandowski showed how he knows how to freak out. His take to the Swedes and his almost complete comeback is a unique example of selfless and individual performance at this Euro.
Lewandowski freaked out and scored two. How Russia was rooting for Poland
18. The dudes from the French national team. Pogba did not work out in defense – then Rabiot’s mother attacked his relatives on the podium. And the French press criticized the leaders who played the console and watched the NBA at night instead of full sleep.
19. Not the luckiest and most driven Moratabut a very talented and stylish Spanish national team. After a year in Qatar, this gang will confirm that it is a gang. Olmo, Pedri and their friends will grow up and together will become an even more coaching team of Luis Enrique.
20. Substitutions on penalties from Southgate. And a loop, terrible for English football: at the same stadium, exactly 25 years ago, the then Southgate national team player did not score a penalty to the Germans in the semifinals. In 2021, he was let down by the players he believed in the most in this series.
The story looped around.
Italy is the champion!
And Euro – thanks for the football and the stories.
