William urges England players to ‘hold heads high’ after Euros penalties defeat
England have been urged to hold their heads high after the Euros penalties defeat (Mike Egerton/PA)
England footballers should be “so proud” of themselves for their efforts in a historic Euros campaign, the Duke of Cambridge has said, after their “heartbreaking” loss in a nail-biting penalty shootout.
Fans were left devastated after the nation’s dreams of being crowned champions of Europe in front of a home crowd at Wembley Stadium were crushed in the final seconds on Sunday night.
Italy ended the Three Lions’ bid for glory with a 3-2 victory on penalties in the nation’s capital, in a game which had earlier seen ticketless fans breach security to get into the stadium.
Jill Lawless
LONDON (AP) â So close.
It took just a few weeks to undo decades of pessimism for England fans, persuading millions that the team could defy decades of disappointment and win a major international soccer tournament for the first time since 1966.
For much of Sundayâs final against Italy, it felt like it might.
But when Italy won the European Championship in a 3-2 penalty shootout, following a close-fought match that ended 1-1 after extra time, fans sat with heads in hands. At a fan zone in Croydon, south London, friends hugged one another in consolation as a DJ played Oasisâ âDonât Look Back in Anger.â
BBC News
By Becky Morton & George Bowden
BBC News in the Euro 2020 final.
Around 60,000 fans at Wembley witnessed the Three Lions defeat, while millions watched in pubs, fan zones and homes across the country.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - who were at Wembley with Prince George - congratulated the Italian side.
London s Metropolitan Police said 49 arrests were made as of 02:00 BST, amid pre-match unrest at the stadium.
It added that 19 officers were injured while they confronted volatile crowds . Heartbreaking. Congratulations Azzurri on a great victory, the royal couple wrote on Twitter. England, you ve all come so far, but sadly this time it wasn t our day. You can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves - I know there s more to come.
Euro 2020: Fans despair as England lose to Italy in final bbc.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bbc.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.