FOOTBALL’S COMING TO ROME

In the end, football did not come home; at least not yet. England fell down where they have fallen before, namely in a penalty shootout. In the end, too, the best team of the tournament and the best team of the night won the Euro 2020 final, as Italy wrapped up their second-ever European Championship trophy, following their 1968 triumph in Rome.

For many observers, Italy v England was the dream final: a clash between arguably the two most in-form teams of the tournament, and most definitely a clash between two great footballing nations. Nor did the final disappoint. Italy’s penalty shootout win climaxed a dramatic night when fortunes fluctuated dramatically in an utterly riveting game.

The final got off to an explosive start with Luke Shaw putting England ahead after only two minutes, as he drifted in on the left side of the area to brilliantly