Claudio Ranieri has said Italy dominated during their Euro 2020 final triumph at Wembley because Gareth Southgate and his England side had “two buses parked” in front of their own penalty area , speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Rarely has a tired old cliché felt so appropriate. Did England simply score too early?
With the benefit of hindsight, Luke Shaw’s crashing, second-minute opener may have done Gareth Southgate’s side more harm than good as England spent the best part of two hours camped inside their own half, thumping panicked clearances into row Z.
By the time Bjorn Kuipers blew the full-time whistle at the end of extra time, a dominant Italy side had mustered 66 per cent possession, tallying 19 shots to six.
In fact, if it wasn’t for some fine Jordan Pickford saves, Roberto Mancini wouldn’t have had to wait until the dead of night to celebrate Italy’s first Euros triumph since 1968.
Did England get their approach wrong in the Euro 2020 final?
“What a beautiful thing. This triumph is one of the most intense football emotions of my life,” sighed a breathless Ranieri, the former Leicester City, Chelsea and Roma boss.
“Thanks Azzurri! I, who have been in football for a lifetime, also felt a huge thrill when Donnarumma saved the fifth penalty and we returned to the top of Europe after 53 years.
- ‘UNBELIEVABLE’: Teddy Sheringham says one England player deserved to win Euro 2020
“The match was a masterpiece. We only suffered in the first few minutes. We closed England in their own half, we dominated.
“England had two buses parked in front of the goal.”
While Pickford could hardly have done more between the sticks, saving spot-kicks from Andrea Belotti and Jorginho, it was the imposing presence of man-mountain Gigi Donnarumma who made the difference in the end, repeating his semi-final heroics as the Azzurri triumphed at the end of a tense penalty shoot-out.
“Donnarumma – two penalties saved, a great, a giant, an exceptional goalkeeper destined to become one of the strongest in the world,” Ranieri adds.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
