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Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci has condemned Declan Rice's comments during Euro 2020. The English midfielder made some loud remarks prior to England's final against Italy in the tournament. Bonucci has now hit back at Rice's comments and believes it shows the immaturity of the West Ham midfielder.
England made it to the final of a major tournament after decades. Buoyed by the success, the whole nation had started to chant their go-to "it's coming home" song on the eve of the final.
It is understandable that fans will give in to the jovial nature of banter. However, Rice got himself involved by stating that his team was a lot more motivated than their Italian counterparts.
Bonuci has now revealed how Declan Rice's comments egged on the Italian dressing room to win the Euro 2020 final.
Speaking to The Athletic, the veteran Italian centre-back said:
“We didn’t pay much attention to it until the Spain game, then the anger inside of us began to mount. We wanted to show them that the final hadn’t already been decided. That they hadn’t already won.”
Bonucci went on to explain how Rice had made the mistake of provoking the Italian team before the Euro 2020 final. He said:
“Hearing that song on repeat and the comment from Declan Rice saying England were 10 times more motivated to win than us… well, they’re the kind of mistakes young players make. You don’t say that. You should never say you want something more than somebody else or you’re better than somebody else.”
Declan Rice had a good outing at Euro 2020
Declan Rice was an integral part of the English team which reached the final of Euro 2020. The West Ham United midfielder was fundamental in keeping the balance of the team and gave a good account of his game for the Three Lions.
Rice's stock was already on the rise prior to Euro 2020. Teams like Chelsea and Manchester United had expressed their interest in signing the 22-year-old defensive midfielder. His solid outing in the European tournament only added to that, with West Ham now keen to charge a premium for Rice.
England suffered a penalty shoot-out heartbreak in the Euro 2020 final against Italy but it was an important step for the young English team. The likes of Declan Rice, Mason Mount, Phil Foden and Jadon Sancho will only learn from their experience at Euro 2020.
England's next international project will be the 2022 Qatar World Cup next year.
