No bank holidays here: Calm Italy takes Euros final in its stride, but confidently predicts victory

‘When it comes to important matches, we beat England every time,’ wrote one paper

Leonardo Bonucci of Italy speaks with the media during press conference at Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano on Friday in Florence (Getty Images)

Bank holidays, days off, late openings; you’ll find none of that in Italy ahead of Sunday’s Euros final with England, where life remains relatively normal – at least, for now.

While England works itself up into a countrywide frenzy with endless reflections on the loveliness of Gareth Southgate, the merits or otherwise of English nationalism and pointless boycott gestures by one Tory MP who is apparently making a stand against gestures, Italy’s front pages instead are dominated by talk of justice reforms, the G20 summit currently taking place in Venice, and a heatwave.

Passengers on state operator Trenitalia’s high-speed trains have drinks served in cups adorned with the faces of the “Azzuri” national team, but that, and the odd Italian flag dangling from an apartment window or a country house gate, is the only sign of the impending big game in Italy.

Schools have already broken up for the summer holidays, but teachers, who are still working, will be at their desks at 8am on Monday, one weary teacher from the Marche region confirmed to The Independent.

There’s no talk of a bank holiday if Italy wins, either - then again the Azzuri have appeared in three previous finals.

In fact, the only announcement to come from the government has been to declare that president Sergio Mattarella will be attending the match at Wembley on behalf of the nation – a blow for prime minister Mario Draghi, an AS Roma supporter.

Meanwhile, health minister Roberto Speranza has pleaded with Italians to wear masks and social-distance if they’re planning to watch the match on big screens outside. The Delta variant is now present in 15 of Italy’s 20 regions.

In fact, while smaller towns are setting up big screens for fans to watch, two of those under the most pressure to stave off infections amid rising tourist numbers, have banned them.

Citing “serious risks to public health”, mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro has issued an ordinance banning big screens outdoors, takeaway drinks and fireworks, while Florence mayor Dario Nardella – who recently banned weekend night-time walks through busy parts of the city – told La Repubblica newspaper that any fans caught breaking social distancing rules would be fined.

UEFA’s only official fan zones will be in Rome, with big screens set up on the Via dei Fori Imperiali – the grand boulevard linking the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Piazza Venezia, constructed by Mussolini, who bulldozed homes to make it – and in Piazza del Popolo, the bombastic “People’s Square” which arches around an ancient Egyptian obelisk.

Fans must be online by Sunday morning for a chance of snaring one of the 3,500 tickets up for grabs between the two sites.

Meanwhile, it’s not just England mulling past victories. Daily newspaper Corriere della Sera has dug out pictures of former presidents Giorgio Napolitano and Sandro Pertini celebrating Italy’s World Cup victories in 2006 and 1982 respectively. Could Mattarella be a lucky mascot at Wembley?

A view of the Arsenale during the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Venice (EPA)

With the rest of the country quietly confident, it’s left to sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport to rouse the crowd.

Its front page on Friday showed a mocked-up photo of Kane and Sterling scratching their heads in front of a roaring Italian line-up, with the headline: “Fearless: We’re making the English suffer, here’s why we can beat them.”

“We have nothing to fear,” the leading article wrote. “When it comes to important matches, we beat England every time.”