Italy has been on a dream run as they are unbeaten in their last 34 matches stretching from 2018 after they failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
This team has been remarkable as they went from missing out on the World Cup to winning the Euros in just 2 years time. One of the key players of this squad is goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who has been named as the Player of the Tournament in Euro 2020. The 22-year-old goalkeeper has achieved this for the first time in Euro history as he made key penalty saves both in the semi-final and in the final.
Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini has hailed the former AC Milan goalkeeper for his heroic performances in the shootouts.
Chiellini told RAI Sport: “We won, I think deservedly. We felt something magical in the air, we’d been saying it since the start of May and we deserve it, all of Italy deserves it.”
“It was an incredible sensation, thank you to everyone who was part of this group over three years and we dedicate it to all those players who are watching from home too.”
“The key was always to play football and enjoy ourselves. We wanted to control the game, to hold possession, and despite getting that punch in the face within two minutes, we dominated the rest of the match and wanted it at all costs.”
He further added: “We had Gigione! We’ve gone from Gigi to Gigio! It was right to win this way. We are all so happy and can’t wait to celebrate with all the Italians tomorrow.”
