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‘You need to eat more pasta’: The most Italian reactions to Italy’s Euro 2020 win

More than 50 years since Italy last took the title, the Azzurri snatched the Euro trophy from rivals England on Sunday. And the last words from players and fans are nothing less than the sporting banter you'd expect.

Published: 12 July 2021 11:52 CEST
'You need to eat more pasta': The most Italian reactions to Italy's Euro 2020 win
Italian fans at the Uefa Euro 2020 final at Webley Stadium. Photo: Andy Rain / POOL / AFP

It seemed England had the potential to finally bring football home after a goal just two minutes into the match.

But the Blues held fast and scored to equalise in the second half, eventually claiming victory in the penalty shoot-out by 3-2.

READ ALSO: ‘Football came home’: Italy celebrates Euro 2020 victory over England

Following England fans’ pre-match gloating, the Italian postal service responded on Twitter that football would not be coming to the “home” the English expected.

“It’s Coming Rome” quickly became a slogan across social media. Italy fans even turned their captain Giorgio Chiellini’s calculated last-minute foul on England midfielder Bukayo Saka into a work of art.

And in a dig at England on a topic that’s dear to Italians’ hearts, Italy’s vice captain Leonardo Bonucci proclaimed that the English need to eat more pasta.

The player could be heard shouting after the team won: “You have to eat more pasta. You still have to eat it.”

Later on Bonucci was a little more sincere in his comments, saying in a post-match interview: “To make people happy is the most beautiful thing that can exist, and we have done it.

“I’m sorry for the English, but tonight the cup is flying back with us.”

READ ALSO: ‘Il Canto degli Italiani’: What the Italian national anthem means – and how to sing it

Although they played away in Wembley, Italy had the support of some dedicated national supporters in the crowd – including President Sergio Mattarella, who watched the boys claim a rain-soaked victory.

Many Italian fans couldn’t understand why England supporters would bang on about bringing football home in the first place.

READ ALSO: ‘It’s coming home – where?’ Six things Italy fans had to say ahead of the Euro 2020 final

This fan tweeted about the absurdity of assuming a win when England has never claimed the Euro trophy in its players’ lifetimes.

You wouldn’t catch Italy jinxing themselves like that. In fact the team is famously superstitious when it comes to pre-match traditions.

READ ALSO: Unlucky Friday 17th – and other Italian superstitions to beware of

Who can say whether Italians are on to something with their rituals per scaramanzia – to ward off bad luck.

But they got the result they aimed for, taking home not only a trophy but also a rather fetching crown for captain Chiellini.

But no matter how high they climb, these boys will always want their mum. Here’s winger Federico Chiesa asking Siri to call his mamma after the win.

And of course the first person that defender Alessandro Florenzi wanted to show off to was his mother.

He mouthed “Look mum… look here!” as he held up his medal for the camera, later repeating the catchphrase with the cup itself.

As the Blues made their way home on Monday, they couldn’t resist showing off their trophy at every opportunity.

The Euro cup, croissant and cappuccino for breakfast, anyone?

Maybe Italians do, in fact, do it better. As England now looks towards the World Cup 2022, perhaps the team should start stocking up on pasta, accept defeat just in case – and remember to call their mum.

England’s goalkeeper Jordan Pickford and England’s defender Harry Maguire react to their loss. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths / POOL / AFP)
Italy’s defender Francesco Acerbi poses with the European Championship trophy. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths / POOL / AFP)
Supporters of the Italian national football team celebrate in Rome. (Photo by Vincenzo PINTO / AFP)
Italy supporters celebrate their team’s victory at Piccadilly Circus in London. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP)
Supporters of the Italian team in Rome. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP)
Italy’s players celebrate with the European Championship trophy. (Photo by Catherine Ivill / POOL / AFP)

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CRIME

Spain women’s World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

The crisis within Spanish football deepened Friday as the women's World Cup winners demanded more heads roll at its scandal-hit RFEF federation whose disgraced ex-boss appeared in court on sexual assault charges.

Published: 16 September 2023 07:56 CEST
Spain women's World Cup players demand more heads roll as Rubiales in court

Just hours after Luis Rubiales was quizzed by a judge for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, all but two of Spain’s 23 World Cup players said they would not don the national shirt without deeper changes within the RFEF, demanding its current interim head also resign.

The statement came as the squad’s new coach Montse Tome was to announce the lineup for two upcoming UEFA Women’s Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland, which was promptly postponed, federation sources said.

“The changes put in place are not enough,” said a statement signed by 39 players, among them 21 of the 23 World Cup winners.

Demanding “fundamental changes to the RFEF’s leadership”, they called for the “resignation of the RFEF president” Pedro Rocha, who took over as interim leader when FIFA suspended Rubiales on August 26.

But the federation insisted Rocha would “lead the transition process within the RFEF until the next election”, insisting any changes would be made “gradually”.

A federation source said a leadership election could take place early next year.

“This institution is more important than individuals and it’s crucial it remains strong. We’ll work tirelessly to create stability first in order to progress later,” Rocha said in the statement.

Despite a string of recent changes, the federation remains in the hands of officials appointed by Rubiales, and the players are demanding structural changes “within the office of the president and the secretary general”.

Brought to court by a kiss

The bombshell came after days of optimism within the RFEF that the players would come round after it sacked controversial coach Jorge Vilda, appointed Tome in his stead and pledged further changes, not to mention Rubiales’ long-awaited resignation on Sunday.

On August 25, 81 Spain players, including the 23 world champions, had started a mass strike saying they would not play for the national team without significant changes at the head of the federation.

Earlier on Friday, Rubiales appeared in court where he was quizzed by Judge Francisco de Jorge who is heading up the investigation into the kiss, which sparked international outrage and saw him brought up on sexual assault charges.

At the end of the closed-door hearing, in which Rubiales repeated his claim that the kiss was consensual, the judge ordered him not to come within 200 metres of Hermoso and barred him from any contact with the player.

At the weekend, the 46-year-old had described the kiss as “a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was… 100 percent non-sexual” in an interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan.

Hermoso, 33, has insisted it was not, describing it as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part”.

Speaking to reporters outside court, Hermoso’s lawyer Carla Vall said they were “very satisfied” with the hearing.

“Thanks to this video, everyone can see there was no consent whatsoever and that is what we will demonstrate in court.”

Allegations of coercion

Hermoso herself will also testify before the judge at some stage, who will then have to decide whether or not to push ahead with the prosecution. No date has been given for her testimony.

The complaint against Rubiales, which was filed by the public prosecutors’ office, cites alleged offences of sexual assault and coercion.

Under a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a category which groups all types of sexual violence.

If found guilty, Rubiales could face anything from a fine to four years in prison, sources at the public prosecutors’ office have said.

In their complaint, prosecutors explained the offence of coercion related to Hermoso’s statement saying she “and those close to her had suffered constant ongoing pressure by Luis Rubiales and his professional entourage to justify and condone” his actions.

At the hearing, Rubiales also denied coercion.

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