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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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NAPLES

Champions League: Eight arrested after fans clash with police in Naples

Smoke bombs, flares, chairs, bottles and metal poles were thrown at police in Naples' historic centre on Wednesday, as Eintracht Frankfurt fans descended on the city despite a ban.

Published: 16 March 2023 12:53 CET
Champions League: Eight arrested after fans clash with police in Naples

Three German football fans and five Italians were arrested following violence in Naples before and after Napoli’s Champions League win over Eintracht Frankfurt, a local official said on Thursday.

Six police officers were injured in violence on Wednesday evening, according to Alessandro Giuliano, who is responsible for public safety in Naples.

Police were in the process of identifying 470 German fans who arrived in the city, and were scouring images to establish those responsible for the disorder, he told a press conference.

Dozens of supporters of Atalanta also joined forces with supporters of the German side, with whom they are twinned.

The first clashes occurred on Wednesday afternoon in Naples’ historic centre, and continued after the match, an easy 3-0 win for Napoli which took them through to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time.

Smoke bombs and flares, chairs, bottles and metal poles were thrown at police, who responded with tear gas. Later, Napoli fans were filmed by Italian media throwing objects at buses carrying Eintracht fans.

Naples mayor Gaetano Manfredi condemned the “unacceptable” violence, while opposition politicians have questioned the government’s handling of the situation, notably by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

Napoli player Juan Jesus said the disorder was “bad for the city, and bad for football”.

“Because people come, then destroy, then leave, it’s not a good thing. It’s not possible to still see this in 2023, we are sorry to see these scenes,” he said.

The German supporters had travelled to southern Italy, with many arriving in Naples by train, even though Eintracht decided against selling tickets for the away section in Naples for the second leg of the last 16 tie.

Eintracht Frankfurt fans clash with anti-riot police after arriving in Naples despite not having tickets for their team’s Champions League decider with Napoli. (Photo by Ciro FUSCO / ANSA / AFP)

The Frankfurt club decided not to take up their allocation after the Naples prefecture decided on Sunday to ban residents of the German city from buying tickets.

A earlier Italian ban on Eintracht fans who lived anywhere in Germany was overturned.

Sunday’s decision came after violence in the first leg that was won 2-0 by Napoli in Frankfurt, which led to nine people being taken into custody.

Eintracht fans have been under close surveillance by European governing body UEFA since the pitch invasion which greeted the club reaching the final of the Europa League, which they won by beating Scottish club Rangers.

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