England's hopes of winning their first major title in 55 years were dashed after their tragic penalty shootout defeat to Italy in the Euro 2020 final, and the anguish was palpable in Monday's newspapers, with the Independent headline "Tears for Champions" summed up the sentiment.
Italy won their first European Championship since 1968 after Bukayo Saka, Gidon Sancho and Marcus Rashford failed to net goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma in the penalty shootout.
"Everything ends in tears," wrote the Daily Mail on its front page, while the Daily Telegraph ran the headline, "Extreme suffering..our hearts break in the penalty shootout again", along with a picture of the coach. Gareth Southgate comforting Saka, who missed the decisive penalty in the penalty shootout.
More than a team.
We're family.
❤️
We'll stick together no matter what.
pic.twitter.com/1p4CJNHWXY
— England (@England) July 11, 2021
"The England team would have brought the cup, as the song says, home," Martin Samuel wrote in the Daily Mail.
"Unfortunately, this dream did not come true. While the ending was painful, what preceded it was just an old football match," he added.
While there was disappointment in England with the defeat, there was also praise for Southgate and his team.
"There will be pain in defeat," Barney Rooney wrote in the Guardian newspaper. "Over the years such moments have been met with a backlash of blame, hurt, accusations, tears and throwing plastic chairs."
"But that was something else. Over the past four weeks... Southgate's adorable and wonderful young squad have been fun, their clarity, their fitness and their willingness to speak through football lift spirits while jarring and poor leadership prevail elsewhere."