Open letter
by Gabriele Gravina

We shouted 'L'Azzurro ci unisce' (The Azzurro blue unites us) up towards the London skies. Finally all together, with pride and a strong sense of freedom, after more than a year and a half of pain.

I wrote together, because there is nothing like the Azzurro blue that unites us, overcoming all local rivalries. A colour that encompasses all and lets passion loose, the colour that has made our hearts beat in unison in a month of intense emotions.

It is always said that when the National Team plays, the country stops – it is not true!

Because when the Azzurri play, the country moves, and how it moves. Wrapped up and involved in a frenetic excitement that takes us back to the good things in life, without the fear of being ashamed. And so here we are again in front of the television with families reunited or with a group of friends, the flags in the windows, the anthem echoing from the balconies, then the chants, the roars and the horns in the streets. All this to support the Azzurri on their successful, fantastic journey, and, at the same time, to make ourselves feel like a main part of an important piece of the people’s history.

A story that takes us back, following the tricolour thread, to another 11 July, in 1982, to Sandro Pertini's celebrations at the Santiago Bernabeu and then back to President Mattarella’s at Wembley, to Enzo Bearzot's proud and composed happiness, and again to Roberto Mancini's charisma and emotion.

This National Team has entered history and will remain there forever. Because of what they did, when and how they did it, they honoured our country and made Italians proud. This National Team is Italy because it sacrifices, laughs, cries, fights, falls and gets up again. It is everyone’s National Team, with no one excluded. It's the National Team that we like to support because it represents us, a group united, capable of overcoming difficulties always with a smile on its face.

At the beginning of our journey all this might have seemed like a dream, but the Azzurri have shown that they can make it come true on the wings of a united country's enthusiasm.

So thank you Azzurri, and thank you to all Italians. Together we won the second European Championship in our history.