Great praise from the President: Italy dedicates European Championship title to deceased colleague


Big compliments from the president
Italy dedicates European title to deceased colleague

You will be welcomed like saints in Italy: the European champions are back in their homeland. Upon arrival, the national soccer team drives straight to the president. He praises the “deserved” victory. And captain Chiellini moved with the dedication of the title to a deceased teammate.

President Sergio Mattarella received Italy’s heroes of the European Football Championship on Monday afternoon. The newly crowned European champions around coach Roberto Mancini appeared in the Quirinal Palace, Mattarella’s official seat in Rome. The 79-year-old was an eyewitness on Sunday evening at London’s Wembley Stadium when he won the Squadra Azzurra’s second European Championship title after 1968 with a 3-2 on penalties against England.

The players around the defense chiefs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci had taken a seat together with Mancini in the garden of the palace, the gold medals hung around their necks. When the weather was sunny, the mood was relaxed, the EM trophy was on a table on the podium.

“Compliments to everyone,” said Mattarella, “the win was deserved because it was won in the opponent’s stadium and in front of a clear majority of English fans.” Mancini and Chiellini gave him a blue national team jersey with the number 10 and his name. When Mattarella appeared, his first path led to Roberto Mancini, the architect of success. Then the national anthem rang out and the team joined in loudly. Then pictures were played from the award ceremony, from the exuberant cheers on the lawn and from the Italian fans in the stands.

“Would have liked to have him here with us today”

Captain Chiellini thanked the crew for the invitation. “That means a lot to us. We all played for each other, it was a collective victory. We were true brothers of Italy yesterday,” said the 36-year-old in his short address.

He also stated that the team is dedicating the title to their former teammate Davide Astori, who died of cardiac arrest in 2018. “We would have liked to have him here with us today,” said Chiellini. “We would like to dedicate this win to Davide Astori.” Astori had played a total of 14 games for the Italian national team between 2011 and 2017 and also played with numerous professionals from the current European championship team. The then captain of Fiorentina was found dead in his hotel room in 2018 before a game in the Italian Serie A. According to the autopsy report, he died of cardiac arrest.

After the reception at Mattarella, the team had a meeting with Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi on the program.

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