The victory of Italy calms the soul of a nation crushed by Covid

The Italians took to the streets and squares to celebrate the victory of the European Championship against England which for many fans has come to symbolize the end of the “worst period” in the country.

Giorgio Casa was one of thousands of Italian fans who gathered in central Rome to celebrate the national team’s victory over England in a penalty shootout at Wembley Stadium in London. Some fans adapted the English anthem – “Football’s Coming Home” – to reflect the Italian victory, singing that football had “arrived in Rome”.

This success is seen by many as particularly intense, given the battle of Italy with the pandemic. Last year it became one of the first countries in Europe to establish a closure and since then more than 120,000 Italians have died from coronavirus.

“For the first time since March 2020, last night we forgot about the pandemic and the economic crisis,” said Casa, 33. ”

As soon as the Englishman Bukayo Saka’s penalty was saved by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to deliver victory on Sunday night, the failure of the 2018 World Cup national team became a distant memory. The success of coach Roberto Mancini Azzurri the team quickly gained symbolic importance.

“It is the sign of the rebirth we expected after the worst period of our lives, like the 1982 World Cup after the years of terrorism,” Aldo Cazzullo wrote on the front page of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. “It’s hard to say who needed it most, the national team or us [the people]”.

Covid-19 has ravaged the country’s economy and society since January 2020, with thousands dying, others losing their jobs and struggling to get the two heads.

The Prime Minister’s Office he was one of the first to react to the news on Twitter. “European Champions!” he called. “Thank you Azzurri! You have written a page of extraordinary history, not only in sports ”.

In an article for Corriere della Sera, the most widely read newspaper in the northern region of Lombardy, the backbone of the Italian economy and the epicenter of the first European Covid outbreak, journalist Fabrizio Roncone welcomed the country’s happy tears.

“It’s a new time for us,” he wrote, “with the wonderful ability to win and be happy: tears of joy, at last, and unbridled celebration.”

Marino Niola, anthropologist and writer, told Italian broadcaster Rai News 24 that the result had special significance after the past 18 months.

“It’s not just a football game, it’s so much more than that, it’s a desire for redemption,” Niola said. “It’s a broader social phenomenon that affects everyone and everyone.”

On the streets of Rome, cheerful fans waited to see the national team as they participated in a parade of victories.

The hilarious scenes caught the attention of Irish tourist Michelle Rock, who took photos of Italian flags outside an ice cream parlor. “Well done, Italy,” he said. “You are taking Europe!”