Europeans 2021 at the start, Italy at the debut with Turkey

Europeans 2021, we are finally here. The edition of the continental review, initially scheduled for 2020 and then postponed due to Covid, starts tonight with Italy immediately protagonist. At 9 pm at the Olympic stadium the Azzurri face Turkey in the opening match of the tournament, valid for the first day of group A, which also includes Wales and Switzerland. For Roberto Mancini’s national team, the dream is the conquest of the title 53 years after the only blue success in the history of this tournament. “The time has come to go back to giving satisfaction to our fans. What night will be that of the eve? I hope to experience other sleepless ones later, in July, when the European Championship will have reached its final phase”, Mancini told the eve. “There is a great desire to relive a great competition as protagonists. We were good at transforming the great disappointment of the play-off (for the 2018 World Cup, ed) lost against Sweden into enthusiasm. It is a strong feeling that pervades not only us players and staff, but also all the fans: we can’t wait to take the field and experience these emotions all together “, the words of captain Giorgio Chiellini. “I was confident three years ago, when I sat on the bench of Italy, and I am even more so today: we have good players on our side and a good group has been created. We would like to continue having fun and we want to arrive in London, for the ‘last step of the competition: I am very confident “, underlined Mancini. The bad news for the coach is the injury to Lorenzo Pellegrini: the Roma midfielder has been officially replaced by Gaetano Castrovilli in the list of 26 after the final OK from Uefa. “We are sorry because Pellegrini is an important player for our game, as is Sensi: we had to give up on him too. We are sorry for Lorenzo, as a player and as a person, and we all wish he could recover quickly. “, said the Italian coach. The good news, however, is the return of the public to the stands at the Olimpico match:” Given the situation it would have been nicer to have more people. The full Olimpico would have given us a boost in addition, but from playing with anyone to having sixteen thousand spectators is already a first step “, highlighted the coach, for whom in any case” it will be impossible not to get excited “. Many authorities expected this evening at the Olimpico for the inaugural match of the European Championships, starting with the President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella. Also present were the presidents of Fifa and Uefa, Gianni Infantino and Aleksander Ceferin, in addition to the number one of the FIGC Gabriele Gravina.