Roberto Mancini tears up old Italian stereotypes but the future’s bright for England

England’s remarkable rise has been a victory for strategy and long-term thinking that plenty of other national associations can learn from.

Italy players react after winning the penalty shootout. Picture: Carl Recine

Just when we thought that all of England’s heavy burden, carried for 55 years, was about to be shrugged off for good the dreaded pain of penalties has hit them again and left Italy celebrating — but there was a lot at Euro 2020 to suggest that both these sides will be serious contenders on the world stage for years to come.

For more than five decades England have been obsessed with looking backwards and counting the days since Bobby Moore lifted the World Cup at Wembley in 1966; now, despite the agony of seeing Italy win a tense and emotional shoot-out, they must also learn to look forwards.