From agony to celebration: another unforgettable night in Piazza del Popolo and the Imperial fora
The Italians who took to the streets to watch the Euro 2020 semi-final were able to finally celebrate after Jorginho's penalty. Before Italy-Spain, the Football Village was decorated with tricolour flags and blue balloonsWednesday, July 7, 2021
It was another unforgettable night in piazze all over Italy. The hearts and eyes of all focused on Wembley, the voices and tricolour flags of millions of fans cheering on Roberto Mancini's National Team to the Euro 2020 final. After a long 120 minutes, with many full with bated breath, Jorginho netted home the decisive penalty. At the Football Village in Piazza del Popolo – the heart of the Uefa Festival set up in Rome – there were massive scenes of celebration; the 2,500 people present in the square (with another 1,000 watching another big screen in Via dei Fori Imperiali) went crazy, celebrating in the streets of the centre of the Capital until late at night. An entire country in euphoria, all aware that there is still one last obstacle to overcome: Sunday at 21:00 CEST, again at Wembley. The nation really wants to be carried away with the Azzurri's passion.
The evening of the semi-final in Piazza del Popolo began with an impressive display of decorations, consisting of a 500 square metre flag under the stage (which continues to host cultural and musical events), 2020 tricolour flags (representing the year the Euros should have been played), 16 larger flags (representing how many Euro tournaments there’s been), and 61 giant blue balloons, each one metre in diameter, to symbolise how many years since the first Euro competition.
The next fixture is now Sunday 11 July at 21.00 CEST, when Italy will be back on the pitch to face the winner of the second semi-final between England and Denmark. Both big screens in Piazza del Popolo and the one in the Fan Zone at the Imperial fora have been confirmed, with booking compulsory, which can be done from midnight the day before the game, via this link.