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Tag: England

  • Mourinho reveals his best player at Euro 2020

    Mourinho reveals his best player at Euro 2020

    Roma coach Jose Mourinho has declared Manchester City defender Kyle Walker as his Player of Euro 2020.

    Plenty of England players caught the eye with their displays but Mourinho identified City defender Walker as not only the best of the lot from the Three Lions but as the best at the tournament overall.

    Despite Italy finishing as title winners, Mourinho told talkSPORT: “My player of the tournament was Kyle Walker. I think Kyle Walker was phenomenal. From the first minute of the competition until the moment he came off in the final he was phenomenal.

    “He was giving cover to centre-backs on the opposite side. I don’t remember him losing one single duel. He didn’t go forward as much as he does in the club because of a strategy point of view.

    “When I call a player an animal it is the best compliment I can do to a player. Kyle Walker – an absolute animal. For me, phenomenal. From the first to the last minute he was in that element.”

  • I didn’t realise Saka penalty was decider – Italy goalkeeper

    I didn’t realise Saka penalty was decider – Italy goalkeeper

    Italy goalkeeper Gigio Donnarumma admits he didn’t know saving Bukayo Saka’s penalty would win the Euro 2020 title.

    Arsenal youngster Saka had the chance to take the game to sudden death after Jorginho’s penalty was saved by Jordan Pickford, but Donnarumma stood in his way.

    Donnarumma, who has left AC Milan for PSG this summer, pounced to his left and the game, the tournament, and English hopes of a long-awaited trophy were over.

    But Donnarumma has admitted he was not aware the shootout had even finished.

    He told Sky Italia: “I didn’t celebrate because I didn’t realise we had won!”

    It was only when the 22-year-old saw his Azzurri teammates steaming towards him to revel in their victory that it occurred to him they were now European champions.

  • Italy taught England a lesson – Bonucci

    Italy taught England a lesson – Bonucci

    Italy defender, Leonardo Bonucci, has said they gave England “a lesson” after their penalty shootout victory over the hosts at Wembley in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday.

    Bonucci made it 1-1 in the second half of the game, cancelling out Luke Shaw’s early opener.

    The Juventus centre back then converted a penalty during the 3-2 shootout win.

    “We are just enjoying seeing 58,000 people leaving even before the trophy presentation, it was something which really delighted us.

    “The trophy now is coming to Rome.

    “They thought it was staying here in London, and they’re unhappy. I feel bad for them, but once again Italy has given them a lesson,” Bonucci said.

    The 34-year-old taunted England fans after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Bukayo Saka’s penalty, which sealed the victory for the Italians.

    He grabbed a TV camera and shouted: “It’s coming to Rome, it’s coming to Rome” — a reference to England’s “Football’s Coming Home” anthem, which was played before the match and chanted by supporters throughout.

  • Euro 2020 final: Football isn’t all about trophies-England declares

    Euro 2020 final: Football isn’t all about trophies-England declares

    The England team has stated that football isn’t all about trophies, after its loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 finals.

    The team made this known in a statement via its official Instagram page on Monday, after the Italian team came out victorious in the final Sunday match.

    The statement read, “Football. It’s not just about trophies, and how we’re still waiting. It’s not about the goals we scored, or the ones we didn’t. It’s about the journeys we’ve taken, from our roots to the top. It’s the friends we’ve made, the people we represent and standing alongside them when times become hard. It’s being together. Football is family. It’s community. It’s unity. It’s home.”

    Alongside the statement, the team also noted that they have made some history, even if they failed to achieve their dream.

    “We made some history, but couldn’t achieve the one thing we’re all dreaming of. But football is about more than trophies, and we’ve seen that all summer. Coming home? Perhaps it was here all along,” England’s official Instagram wrote.

    Italy inflicted more penalty anguish on England to win Sunday’s Euro 2020 final 3-2 in a shoot-out, Bukayo Saka missing the decisive kick to deny the hosts after the game at Wembley had ended in a draining 1-1 draw through extra time.

  • England still have one rusty cup from 1966 – Italy legend

    England still have one rusty cup from 1966 – Italy legend

    Italy great Alessandro Altobelli hailed their Euro 2020 winners – and enjoyed a swipe at England – after Sunday’s Euro 2020 final shootout victory.

    The former centre-forward was happy for his country.

    “It’s joyful winning at Wembley against England,” Altobelli told RAI Sport. “Who always think they are the best, the greatest, the most talented, the most beautiful.

    “And yet if you look in their trophy cabinet there’s one rusty cup from 1966! Go look at our trophy cabinet, it’s packed!”

  • Southgate takes blame for England’s shootout loss to Italy

    Southgate takes blame for England’s shootout loss to Italy

    Gareth Southgate took full responsibility for England’s failure from the penalty kicks spot as Italy secured Euro 2020 glory at Wembley on Sunday.

    Following a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes, after Leonardo Bonucci had cancelled out Luke Shaw’s second-minute opener, it was a familiar spot-kick outcome for the Three Lions.

    Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka all missed from the penalty kicks spot, with Jordan Pickford saving two Italian penalty kicks.

    “We prepared as well as we could for that and that’s my responsibility, I chose the guys to take the kicks,” Southgate said.

    “No-one is on their own in that situation. We decided to make the changes right at the end of the game and we win and lose together as a team.”

    On selecting Saka to take the fifth penalty kick and also making very late substitutions to get more takers on, Southgate added: “That’s my decision to give him that penalty kick.

    “So, it is totally my responsibility. It is not him, Marcus or Jadon.

    “We worked on it in training and that’s the order we came to. (It’s) my call as coach.

    “It is always the risk you run but they have been by far the best and to get all those attacking players on you have to do it late.

    “It was a gamble but if we gambled earlier we may have lost the game in extra-time any way.”

    Captain Harry Kane was proud of the effort of the team.

    He said: “The players couldn’t have given more. Penalty kicks obviously are the worst thing in the world when you lose. It wasn’t our night.

    “But it’s been a fantastic tournament and we should be proud, hold our heads up high.

    “Of course it’s going to hurt for a while but we are on the right track and hopefully we can progress from this next year.”

    Kane offered words of encouragement for the three players who missed penalty kicks in the shoot-out.

    “You have got to hold your heads up high. It’s been a fantastic tournament.

    “Anyone can miss a penalty kick. We win together, we lose together. We will learn and these boys will grow from it.

    “It will give us more motivation to do well in the FIFA World Cup next year.

    “We should be extremely proud of what we have achieved. It will probably hurt for the rest of our careers, but that is football.

    “We have progressed well from Russia (2018 FIFA World Cup). Now it is about continuing. We have a great squad with loads of good young players.”

  • Conte highlights two major weaknesses in England XI

    Conte highlights two major weaknesses in England XI

    Former Italy coach Antonio Conte has spied two key weaknesses in England’s XI ahead of the final of Euro 2020.

    Conte also highlighted two areas in which he thinks England could be vulnerable on Sunday, however, with Gareth Southgate’s midfield and defence coming under scrutiny.

    “In the middle of the park they have two very physical midfielders in [Declan] Rice and [Kalvin] Phillips, capable players who bring balance but very few vertical passes, often going for the easiest option,” former Chelsea boss Conte wrote for Gazzetta dello Sport.

    “One of England’s weak spots is that, if their defence is pressed when building from the back, they aren’t as good as Spain at escaping their opponents’ press. But if you go after them with ultra-offensive pressing and they do escape, then watch out for their pace up front.

    “Again, this is when the [Italy] players must show their experience at reading the various moments of the game.”

  • Dutch pundit slams England tactics: Terribly cowardly football

    Dutch pundit slams England tactics: Terribly cowardly football

    Former Nottingham Forest striker Pierre van Hoojdonk has slammed Gareth Southgate’s England after they reached the final of Euro 2020.

    Van Hoojdonk has branded Southgate’s style of play as “cowardly” after their semifinal defeat of Denmark.

    He told NOS: “England plays terribly cowardly football.

    “If this is it… Then it’s very scanty. If they win the final they won’t care what we say here, that’s true. But in the group stage it was already mediocre. They scored a lot against Ukraine, but I already have my favourite for the final.

    “I hope it will be Italy. I am so disappointed in what England has shown. With this squad you should really be able to put something nicer on the pitch.”

    Ex-Holland midfieler Wesley Sneijder also said: “Italy won’t be scared of England based on how they played tonight. The rest of the games weren’t much better. Italy is the favourite.”

  • Raheem Sterling penalty was scandalous – Liverpool legend

    Raheem Sterling penalty was scandalous – Liverpool legend

    Liverpool legend Dietmar Hamann has slammed Manchester City attacker Raheem Sterling for a “blatant dive” to win a penalty for England.

    The Three Lions made history on Wednesday night, with an own goal from Simon Kjaer and Harry Kane’s rebounded spot kick earning them a place in the Euro 2020 final.

    Kane’s goal came after Sterling was awarded a penalty thanks to a foul from Joakim Maehle.

    “I think it’s scandalous,” Hamann told RTE. “Obviously they saw the game out well after going ahead, but they won with a penalty which was a blatant dive.

    “This is not in the spirit of the game.

    “England always prides itself on being the home of fair play and no diving. We all remember what happened with [Jurgen] Klinsmann when he came to England and he dived, and then they had the celebration with the diving.

    “Sterling probably thought the challenge was going to come, so I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. But Maehle pulls out of the tackle because he sees he can’t get there. There is no contact whatsoever.

    “VAR was brought in to rectify these decisions and change blatant mistakes by the referee. This is as blatant a mistake as you will see, and this is a European Championship semi-final. I feel sorry for the Danes.”

  • England players plan donating Euro 2020 title fee to health workers

    England players plan donating Euro 2020 title fee to health workers

    England players will donate their prize money to the National Health Service (NHS) if they win the Euro 2020 title on Sunday, according to multiple local news reports.

    The reports on Friday said the team would receive around 9.6 million pounds (13.2 million dollars) for a victory against Italy in the decider.

    England players started donating match fees to the NHS last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    The reports said the issue was not finalised as some details such as tax implications must still be solved.