Leonardo Bonucci addressed the Euro final against England from the Italy camp. “Winning Sunday would be important for our movement, for every single player, and for the Federation. It would erase few difficult years. It would be an injection of joy and confidence for the people.”
“When Roberto Mancini took over, I understood immediately that we would bounce back quickly. He worked on our psyche and gave our self-esteem back. He added quality. Three years ago, taking home the Euro seemed like a utopia. The extra season helped up.”
Bonucci sidestepped possible controversies: “We just need to focus on play football and have fun. We are looking forward to the final; the rest is hot air. I am very serene, and I hope to transmit that to my teammates. Playing in Wembley Stadium pushes you to try doing something historical. England will be at home, but we are not scared of them.”
“There are no alibis, not even tiredness. We have had a lot of time to recover. We will be ready to rumble Sunday. President Sergio Mattarella will attend the match. We will play for him and the entire Italy. I urge the fans to celebrate respectfully if we triumphed, though.”
Bonucci commented on the generational gap with the Three Lions: “They have young attackers; we are a little older in the back. They have great forwards, are very quick on the wings, and powerful in the middle. We have already faced some top-notch strikers. I believed from the get-go that they were one of the favorites.”
He received a lot of praise: “It is nice, but you have to prove every game how united our squad is.” Ciro Immobile and Andrea Belotti instead faced criticism: “They are pivotal for how we play and we must help them.”