Today, England takeon Italy in League A Group A3 of the UEFA Nations League, in the two nations’ first encounter since the Azzurri won the Euro 2020 Final on penalties at Wembley last summer. However, an emptyMolineux Stadium in Wolverhamptonwill host a rematch of the grand final.
The kick-off time is set at 2:45 PM (ET). The Three Lionsarelooking for their most memorable victory in the ongoing 2022-23 UEFA Nations League campaign, while the Azzurriwill be hoping to build on their 2-1 victory against Hungary with another three points here.
Although an empty Molineuxwill not have the same atmosphere as a sold-out Wembley, the hosts have gone 15 games without losing on their home soil, and Italy’s starting lineup is a far cry from the squad that won the continental title in London last year.
Why England vsItaly is played behind closed doors
Molineux will be hosting a senior men’s international for the first time since December 1956. The reason is that UEFA imposed punishment on Englandin October of last year. It is only now coming into effect because this will be England’s first home encounter under UEFA’s control – they had previously played 2022 World Cup Qualifiers,and International Friendlies, which are both regulated by FIFA.
As ticketless supporters smashed security barricades, pushed access to the 2020 Euro Final, and battled with police and stewards, European football’s governing body condemned a “loss of order and discipline within and outside the stadium.” It was said that as many as hundreds of supporters fought their way into Wembley Stadium without tickets, battling officials as the venue grew dangerously congested owing to COVID-19 restrictions.
However, the stadium won’t be completely empty.Aloophole in the law allows some under-14s to attend for free, with one adult for every ten children -the match will be played without other fans as a punishment for the disorder that blighted the Euro 2020 Final at Wembley.
Furthermore, UEFA laws enable minors to watch games for free during certain events.Tickets for international games for youngsters aged 14 and under may be distributed by national soccer organizations to local schools and grassroots soccer teams, allowing between 2,000 and 4,000 young supporters.
