Italy have become the new European champions after beating England on penalties! The dreadful wait for the Three Lions continues as Bukayo Saka and his teammates lost the shootout, bursting into tears. For the first time since 1968, Italy have won the UEFA European Championship. After the game ended 1-1 in regular time, neither team could score in extra time, sending the game to a penalty shootout to determine the winner. It's the first shootout in a Euro Final since 1976.
Italy forced extra time after tying England 1-1 after 90 minutes with a second-half goal. After Luke Shaw's second-minute opening, it was Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci who put the Italians all square at the Wembley Stadium and also clearing up a loose ball inside the box with 23 minutes remaining.
As a result, 30 minutes of extra time was played, with penalty kicks deciding the winner. Berardi, Bonucci, and Bernardeschi scored for Italy, while Belotti and Jorginho missed theirs. Meanwhile, only Kane and Maguire netted for England, with Rashford, Sancho, and Saka failing to successfully convert their shots from the penalty spot.
How many UEFA European Championship trophies have Italy won?
Italy have taken part in 10 UEFA European Championships, and they have reached the Final four times, including the Euro 2020 edition. They now have two UEFA Euro trophies, as they took the crown in the first European championship that they qualified for in 1968. On July 11, 2021, they became the European champions for the second time in history, after triumphing over England on penalties. The game ended 1-1 after extra time, and the Azzurri were the better side in the penalty shootout, winning 3-2.
Italy ended up runners-up in 2000 and 2012. Two football matches at the Olympic Stadium in Rome on June 8 and June 10, 1968, marked the winner of the UEFA Euro 1968. It was UEFA's third European Championship Finals, as Italy and the former Yugoslavia fought for the title. To get to the Finals, Italy finished the Group Stage on top, in competition with Romania, Cyprus, and Switzerland. After a two-legged tie in the Quarter-Finals against Bulgaria, they advanced to the next stage. Then, in an interesting turn of events, the winner of the Semi-Final duel versus the Soviet Union was determined with a coin toss after finishing in a goalless tie.
The first leg of the Finals finished in a 1-1 draw, which required a rematch, in order to declare the champion. Italy won the rematch 2-0, with a low left-foot shot within the area by Luigi Riva, and another left-foot strike, this time by Pietro Anastasi. It took the Azzurri another 32 years to participate in a UEFA Euro Final. In the Euro 2000 Final, unfortunately for Italy, they lost to France 2-1 in the Netherlands. Then in Euro 2012, Italy lost another Final after suffering a tough 4-0 defeat to Spain in Ukraine.
