Euro 2020 final: I cursed Saka before his penalty — Chellini

By Ayomikun Emmanuel

GIORGIO CHIELLINI has confessed to putting a CURSE on Bukayo Saka - before the England youngster’s penalty miss handed the Euro 2020 crown to Italy.

The Italy defender shouted the word just before the England teenager took his spot kick which was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma

Italy star Giorgio Chiellini has admitted he put a "curse" on Bukayo Saka before the England teenager's decisive penalty miss in Sunday's Euro 2020 final. 

Saka saw his spot kick saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, handing Italy the European title after the two teams drew 1-1 over 120 minutes. 

Just before Saka took the kick, Chiellini screamed "Kiricocho!" – a word that's been used by footballers for decades to impart bad luck on the opposition.

The Three Lions’ heroic campaign ended in heartbreak at Wembley on Sunday as the Azzurri won 3-2 in a shootout after a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal frontman Saka, 19, saw keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma save his spot-kick to clinch victory for Roberto Mancini’s men.

Italy skipper Chiellini - who slept with the Euro trophy after his team’s win - has now owned up to uttering the curse word ‘Kiricocho!’ as Saka shaped up to shoot.

He was captured on camera apparently mouthing the South American term, shortly before celebrating Donnarumma’s save with his team-mates.

‘Kiricocho’ is a South American term that translates roughly as ‘Jinx’ or ‘Curse you’.

It dates back to 1982, taking its name from a fan of Argentine club Estudiantes whose presence at training coincided with players getting injured.

Superstitious club boss Carlos Bilardo hired Kiricocho to attend games to put a hex on their opponents.

Bilardo’s side lost just once that season, the only time the diehard supporter was unable to attend.

Grizzled veteran Chiellini is known for using every trick in the book to thwart opponents.

Euro 2020 attack: F1 driver, Norris loses N23m wrist-watch to thugs

McLaren Formula 1 driver Lando Norris was among those to have been targeted by thugs during the chaotic scenes which transpired during England’s Euro 2020 final with Italy on Sunday evening.

What promised to be a glorious day for English football instead descended into another black eye for the sport, as fans hopes of welcoming “home” football after 55 years of misery at international tournaments were again dashed from the penalty spot after 120 minutes of action at Wembley.  

But this particular shiner wasn’t solely down to the latest penalty shootout heartbreak England has been forced to endure, but also down to the thuggish scenes which transpired in and around Wembley stadium before, during and after the game  – when hundreds of unruly ticketless English fans attempted to force their way into the stadium.

Social media footage captured at various point during the incidents showed fights and bottle-throwing happening en masse  – with reports of players’ families being caught up in melees.

F1 star Norris was another who was targeted by the thugs, and was mugged of his £40,000 ($55,000) watch after being attacked by a group of football supporters.

According to reports, Norris was attempting to leave the area around the stadium in his £165,000  McLaren GT sports car when he was grabbed by one fan while another ripped his top of the line watch from his wrist.

One dead, several injured in Italy celebrations

One person died and several were injured in Italy as the country celebrated their victory over England in Sunday’s Euro 2020 final.

Italy won the championship in London for the first time since 1968, with a 3-2 penalty shootout win after the match finished 1-1 in regular and extra time.

A 22-year-old man died in a car crash in Caltagirone, Sicily, as he was rushing to the town centre to join victory festivities, police said.

In Milan, 15 people were hurt, three seriously, when post-match partying became rowdy. One of them lost three fingers when a firework exploded in his hand.

In a town near the southern city of Foggia, police believe a hitman took advantage of the chaos in the streets to settle a score, shooting dead his target in the crowd before escaping on a motorbike.

The victim’s six-year-old niece was also wounded in the attack, with media reporting that she was in a “very serious” condition.

UEFA probes Wembley clashes, charges England FA

UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings and charged England’s Football Association (FA) for disturbances during Sunday’s Euro 2020 final against Italy at Wembley, Europe’s soccer governing body said on Tuesday.

UEFA also said it had appointed an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to conduct a separate investigation into the “events involving supporters which occurred inside and around the stadium”.

The final, which Italy won in a penalty shootout, was marred by clashes between fans and officials in and around the stadium.

British police, who said 19 of its officers were injured, have so far arrested a total of 86 people. Some 53 of the arrests were at Wembley.

The charges against the FA include: invasion of the field of play by its supporters, throwing of objects by its supporters, disturbance caused by its supporters during the national anthem and lighting of a firework.

Boos were heard around the stadium when the Italian anthem was played before kickoff while a pitch invader interrupted the match, with the referee stopping play while the stewards chased him down.

“The case will be dealt with by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body in due course,” UEFA said.

Chelsea ‘hellbent’ on Haaland transfer

ROMAN ABRAMOVICH is prepared to meet Borussia Dortmund’s asking price for Erling Haaland. 

The Bundesliga side will accept an offer of £150 million for the in-demand striker.

And Abramovich, who is determined to land the striker, is ready to make the necessary funds available, report German outlet Bild.

The deal would break the British transfer record, and naturally Chelsea may need to offload some players to secure the move.

Tammy Abraham has been linked with a move to West Ham this summer after falling out of Thomas Tuchel’s plans last season.

He is one of several first-team players who could depart, along with Hakim Ziyech and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

Ziyech only joined the club last year and has scored six goals in 39 games for The Blues.

The highly-rated Hudson-Odoi has attracted interest from Bayern Munich, and Chelsea could now cash in.

And according to Bild, the sale of that trio could raise around £90m, meaning Abramovich would only need to find £60m to finalise the Haaland transfer.