Mancini thanks Mattarella, victory for all Italians

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 12 - Italy coach Roberto Mancini on Monday thanked President Sergio Mattarella ahead of a reception at the presidential place in Rome for his Twitter message saying the team had done Italy proud in winning Euro 2020.
    "Thank you President, it is a victory to dedicate to all the Italians!", replied Mancini on Twitter.
    Mattarella, who attended the match, tweeted "#Mattarella: Great recognition to Roberto #Mancini and our players they represented #Italy well and did sport proud #EURO2020".
    Mancini also said the win was for all Italians living abroad.
    England players taking off their runners-up medals and being accused of lacking fair play after their loss to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final was "understandable" given their disappointment, Mancini said ahead of the reception with Mattarella.
    The Azzurri sang the national anthem before going in to the reception, and Mattarella sang along.
    Previously the Azzurri went to the Celio military hospital for their COVID booster jab, and Emergency Commissioner Francesco Figliuolo said "Italy wins when it plays as a team".
    During the reception at the Quirinale , Italian Soccer Federation (FIGC) President Gabriele Gravina said this national team represents the Italy that wants to restart after the COVID-19 emergency.
    He said "the national team is a great beauty, not only in its game but in its values, it is the point of departure for the reforms in our world, but also for the country".
    Captain Giorgio Chiellini said the Azzurri dedicated the victory to former Fiorentina and Italy defender Davide Astori, who died of cardiac arrest ahead of a match in March 2018.
    "We would like to dedicate this victory to Davide Astori, whom I knew and whom we would have liked to have here with us today", said the veteran Juventus skipper and defensive icon.
    Chiellini told Mattarella that the win was "for you and all the Italians in the world".
    He also told the head of State that "we felt brothers of Italy", citing the national anthem, and said "we did not win because of a penalty but because of friendship".
    Mancini said the victory was "dedicated to the Italians, who can finally rejoice" and said that "you can follow a dream when you believe in it".
    Italy's first Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini, also there to be received by Mattarella, said the only thing missing from his match with Serbia great Novak Djokovic had been the win.
    (ANSA).