The England-Italy clash at the Euro 2020 final turned out to be as nail-biting as expected, and a small number of Maltese were at Wembley to enjoy it, having booked their tickets well in advance and surmounted COVID-19 issues. 

For Nicholas Baldacchino, the outcome was not the one he would have liked. An avid England fan, he paid €600 for his ticket, way back in December 2019 - at a time when he had no idea that England would make it to the final against Italy or that there would be a global pandemic.

And despite the result and the costs, he has no regrets.

Despite such an early booking, Nicholas said he was not sure he would be able to make it to London until a few days ago, when the UK put Malta on its green travel list, meaning he did not have to quarantine on getting there. Accompanied by a friend, he landed in the UK on Saturday.

Nicholas Baldacchino at Wembley Stadium on Sunday

This was not the first time he had travelled to watch big football matches. He was present for the Euro 2000 in Portugal and the World Cup final in Russia. 

“I had also been to Wembley on six previous occasions. But this time the atmosphere was very different. On Sunday morning, Leicester Square in central London was flooded with people, as was Wembley Way.

When it came to the penalties and England lost I saw people cry. They looked deflated. They were hoping that football was coming home.

“Wembley Way was full of partying people, drinking beer. It was full of bottles and broken glass,” he said.

Getting into the stadium was also more chaotic than usual.

“When we were going in and about to have our tickets scanned everything was stopped for about half an hour. It turned out that a young man had tried to get in using a fake ticket and the system shut down. We saw lots of people trying to rush the barriers but security was top notch,” he said, despite videos showing lax security. 

Nicholas and his friend got in three hours before the match and settled down in their seats in the North Stand, second tier.  

“The atmosphere was great. It was swarming with supporters from all over the country and when England scored - after just two minutes - the enthusiasm was palpable."

But it all died down when Italy got the equaliser and it was tension that rose as extra time gave way to penalties and England's party was spoilt.

"I saw people cry. They looked deflated. They had been hoping that football was coming home.

“But what’s so great about the English is that they are proud of their team having got to that point. They remained positive and were already talking about winning the next time round. I too really do believe that England will soon win a big tournament,” he said, mindful that the nation has not lifted a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup.

The Italy fan 

Italy supporter Ivan Falzon said it was a 'fantastically surreal' experience to be walking into Wembley Stadium amid a sea of England supporters.

Ivan travelled to the UK with three friends, all avid football lovers. Over the years the four, including ophtalmologist and former parliamentary secretary Franco Mercieca, had watched several games abroad, in support of their beloved Azzurri.

Italy supporters Ivan Falzon (right) with his friend Franco Mercieca

Ivan was in Rome last month to see Italy win 1-0 against Wales. He realised that Italy would make headway in the Euro 2020 tournament and started looking for tickets for the final in the hope that the blues would make it to the end.

“It’s always good to bet on Italy,” he said, pointing to the fact that the country has won four World Cups apart from a European Championship in 1968.

So as the tournament progressed and Malta was green-listed by the UK, the friends immediately bought the flight tickets. It all worked out. Italy made it to the final and they were all set for the game experience of a lifetime. They left Malta on Sunday morning to return the following day, after the match.

It was surreal. There were thousands of English fans and only sporadic Italian fans.

"Wembley was inundated with activity. Outside the stadium everywhere was fantastically busy. Bars and restaurants were full. The English are the best fans. They know how to party and they love football,” said Ivan.

He had been to Wembley before, but this time was different for him too.

“There was some panic to go in and there was a big rush at the gates, which was unusual," he said.

"When we got in,  we were surrounded by England fans.  We were wearing our football T-Shirts with the Italian badge but everyone around us was very friendly.

"We drank together and discussed football. It was surreal. There were thousands of England fans and only sporadic Italian fans.”  

Wembley Stadium lit up with the Italian colours after the match. PHOTO: Ivan Falzon

Towards the end of the match, as Italy dominated, Wembley fell silent and that silence shifted to an atmosphere of dejection when England lost.

"The stadium emptied in a few minutes. It was mostly empty when Italy lifted the cup," Ivan said.

Apart from the joy of seeing his team win, Ivan said he would always treasure the memory of seeing that famous arch over the temple of English football lit up with the colours of the Italian flag. "That is my most treasured photo -  Wembley’s arch in Italian colours," he said.