ROME: The Italian football team arrived back in Rome on Monday after winning the European Championships against England in a penalty shootout on Sunday.
They were greeted by elated fans who had gathered at their hotel to welcome them home.
Italians celebrated the European Championship soccer title as a new beginning not only for their youthful national team but for a country that's been yearning to return to normalcy after being hit hard and long by the coronavirus pandemic.
A cacophony of honking cars, fireworks and singing fans filled the night in Rome as thousands of people took to the streets after the country beat England in a penalty shootout Sunday to win its first major soccer trophy since the 2006 World Cup.