Days after England did as the Italians do so often in Rome, Italy arrived in London to do what England have done here just once, win on penalties.
A pulsating contest, particularly in the second half of normal time, was settled when Jorginho rolled in a slow motion spot kick in front of a wild wall of blue shirts behind the goal, after Alvaro Morata had missed for Spain.
As those in blue, and in red, shuffled towards the underground, it all felt a bit odd. English accents discussed Morata’s constant confidence crisis, families hurried for the last train and ‘Football’s Coming Home’ was slurred in to ceilings of the grey concrete spiral stairs. Spanish and Italian voices were present, but far from dominant though, in the case of the winners, that would soon change, as plastic horns and renditions of ‘Seven Nation Army’ filled the night air.
While the travelling Euros circus has toured Europe, fans have broadly had to stay at home while their teams traverse the continent. But the coronavirus crisis and associated travel rules have allowed more immigrant fans to watch the nation of their birth in the home of their choice.
“We don’t go so much to the football, we just wanted to support our nation and we are living here in London anyway,” Spanish fan Janice Ocampo told DW before the game.
Less than a week after more than 50,000 EU citizens rushed to beat the deadline to secure their so-called ‘settled status’ in the UK, a similar number – many of Spanish or Italian origin – packed out Wembley stadium in the biggest communal event in the country since the pandemic began. More will soon follow, on Wednesday (England vs. Denmark) and Sunday (the final), despite the spike in cases caused by the emergence and spread of the delta variant.
But for just over two hours, politics and COVID-19 were put to one side. “There is nothing here about politics, only football. We don’t need always to talk politics,” Italian fan Rosella, who moved to London in 2016, told DW, summing up the general mood.
The game provided plenty to distract. Spain probed and prodded fluently but had little to show for it. Having left Morata, the man he’s backed so heavily in this tournament, on the bench, Luis Enrique strode the touchline with the air of an interior designer who has created a front room with perfect fixtures, fittings and finishings but forgotten a chair.
For all the pretty patterns Spain were weaving, Italy were always menacing; bursts of speed, inspiration and incision standing in contrast to their opponents. Their opener was perhaps the ultimate demonstration. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma spotted an opportunity with ball in hands and immediately hared to the edge of his area to roll it out. Two passes and a desperate Spanish tackle later, Federico Chiesa opened his body to curl beautifully in to the net.
With a different type of crowd, came a different type of response. Shorn of those who conduct the noise, the match itself arguably became more of a centerpiece, the tactical tweaks highlighted and mistakes less harshly condemned. It lived up to the scrutiny.
Twenty minutes later, Morata levelled things up, playing a one-two of sublime simplicity with Dani Olmo before side footing calmly in to the corner. It may not be the most aesthetically pleasing, or even the most functional item in Enrique’s front room, but it was enough to force extra-time.
Now the tension rose, and the decibels dropped, replaced by a familiar, much-missed, nervous energy. Those subtle differences in sound, behaviour, reactions and attitude at a stadium used to hosting England served as a reminder of what the tournament experience has traditionally been and, to some extent, those cultural differences that the UK has chosen to abandon.
Like Tuesday’s game, this tournament in general has become a place to forget all that. From the gut-wrenching collapse of Christian Eriksen and heroic response of Denmark’s players on the first Saturday of the tournament, to the triumphs of collectivism and organisation that have propelled Switzerland, Ukraine, Czech Republic and, yes, even England, further than would have been expected.
“This Italy side has a lot of courage,” said Donnarumma after the game. “We never give up.”
It’s hard to argue. Persistence is far from their only quality, but England or Denmark will have to match the ferocity of feeling Roberto Mancini has instilled in this Italian side to stand a chance. As Spain found out, that’s no easy task. – DW.
