Leonardo Spinazzola confirms he will be at Wembley to watch his Italy teammates face England in the UEFA EURO 2020 Final. ‘Hearing the Wembley jeers will just fire us up.’
It kicks off on Sunday at 20.00 UK time.
Spinazzola had been one of the most impressive players in the entire tournament until he pulled up during the 2-1 win over Belgium with a torn Achilles tendon.
He had surgery in Finland and is expected to be out of action for seven to eight months.
“I will be in London tomorrow with my teammates,” the Roma man told RAI 1.
“It’s immensely exciting, the lads have given me an incredible evening. We are a great team and we really feel like a family.”
Lorenzo Insigne even wore Spinazzola’s jersey during the celebrations of the semi-final victory against Spain, which was achieved via a penalty shoot-out.
“It was a bit big on him, but it was a nice gesture!” joked Spina. “We had a video call after the game and they were chanting for me.”
The Azzurri are up against England, who will have the home advantage at Wembley Stadium, despite Gary Lineker urging fans not to jeer the Italian national anthem.
“It’s going to be a very difficult match, especially in their stadium, but hearing all those jeers will just fire us up even more.
“I will be in the stands, cheering them on with my crutches! If Italy were to win, I’d have to jump up and celebrate with everyone. My wife keeps telling me to be careful, so I hope to jump around on one leg.
“I’ll tell the lads that I am on the pitch with them.”
Spinazzola received two UEFA Man of the Match Awards before his injury, despite playing only four games in the tournament.