Italian newspapers said today that the world is supporting their football team in tonight’s final against England.
Il Corriere dello Sport claimed “the whole world is supporting Italy” – whilst Il Messagero said “the whole of Europe” does.
And La Stampa argued the England team was trying to make up for the “humiliation” of Brexit.
They also mocked the prime minister for his ‘sudden love’ of football and passed judgements on the way him and his wife Carrie Symonds looked at England’s match against Denmark, according to The Independent.
Boris Johnson
It read: “Boris Johnson doesn’t love football, but he went to the semi-final against Denmark wearing an England t-shirt, shouting and fist-pumping so that everyone saw him… His wife Carrie looked like his carer trying to keep him quiet.”
One of Rome’s most popular British pubs, The Albert, has mostly been booked by Italians tonight, according to owner Sara Mandatori.
Mandatory is half Scottish, half Italian and will quietly support Italy tonight.
What polls say
According to a poll carried out by YouGov, both English and Italian fans agree that the rest of Europe will be supporting Italy. England fans think this by 49 per cent to 21 per cent, whilst Italians think the same by 57 per cent to nine per cent.
And Italians are more confident of victory in the Euro 2020 final, with 53 per cent thinking their team will win versus only 18 per cent thinking England will.
Meanwhile, 41 per cent of England fans think Gareth Southgate’s team will win and 34 per cent think Italy will.
YouGov has also revealed Southgate is “considerably more popular than both Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer”.
Both the English and Italian fans agree that the rest of Europe will be supporting Italy.
— YouGov (@YouGov) July 9, 2021
By 49% to 21% England fans think this; by 57% to 9% the Italians think the same https://t.co/qGxwkr06zG pic.twitter.com/Bba1bI5gst
Gary Neville said that Gareth Southgate is "everything a leader should be" this week. Our net favourability ratings show the England boss is considerably more popular than both Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer
— YouGov (@YouGov) July 9, 2021
Southgate: +61
Johnson: -15
Starmer: -29https://t.co/157f5K0oEl pic.twitter.com/GhTcKukgO8
‘Whitewash’
Meanwhile, a former Sun editor has hit out at UK newspapers for featuring “entirely white front pages” ahead of this evening’s football final.
MAIL ON SUNDAY: Queen and William: come on England! #TomorrowsPapersToday pic.twitter.com/3WJWegaXmF
— Neil Henderson (@hendopolis) July 10, 2021
The front page of tomorrow's Sunday Telegraph:
— The Telegraph (@Telegraph) July 10, 2021
'I hope history records not only your success but also the spirit, commitment and pride with which you conduct yourselves'#TomorrowsPapersToday
Sign up for the Front Page newsletterhttps://t.co/x8AV4Oomry pic.twitter.com/IWjGPK2Zaw
Related: ‘Whitewash’: Former Sun editor hits out at lack of Sterling coverage ahead of Euros final
