Police in England launched an investigation into the racist abuse directed towards three black players on the England national team that missed penalty kicks in England’s loss to Italy in the European Championship Final. 

Both the Metropolitan Police and English Football Association expressed condemnation of the incidents and social media posts. “We will do all we can to support the players affected while urging the toughest punishments possible for anyone responsible,” the English Football Association added. “We will continue to do everything we can to stamp discrimination out of the game, but we implore government to act quickly and bring in the appropriate legislation so this abuse has real-life consequences.”

Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho are young players on the England squad who have been outspoken about inequality. Rashford has notably led campaigns targeting child poverty and swayed the British government to implement certain policies for the cause. 

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “those responsible for this appalling abuse should be ashamed of themselves.” That said, Johnson has faced criticism himself for enabling the booing and harsh response towards the England team for kneeling before matches as a form of protest. 

Former Manchester United player and current SKY News commentator Gary Neville said: “The prime minister said it was OK for the population of this country to boo those players who are trying to promote equality and defend against racism. It starts at the very top and so for me I wasn’t surprised in the slightest that I woke up this morning to those headlines.”

England manager Gareth Southgate saw the situation as unforgivable. “We have been a beacon of light in bringing people together, in people being able to relate to the national team, and the national team stands for everybody and so that togetherness has to continue.”

Prince William, president of the English Football Association, joined the outcry of condemnation. “It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable,” William wrote on Twitter.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan also got involved on Twitter, calling for social media outlets to hold people accountable. “There is absolutely no place for racism in football or anywhere else. Those responsible for the disgusting online abuse we have seen must be held accountable – and social media companies need to act immediately to remove and prevent this hate.”

Racist abuse was seen earlier in the tournament too, as investigations were launched after racist tweets were sent following France‘s loss to Switzerland in penalty kicks in the Euro 2020 Round of 16.

Italy has once again reached the pinnacle of European soccer, while England is left with heartbreak as the long wait for a major title continues. 

Italy won the European Championship for the second time ever by defeating England 3-2 on penalty kicks. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regulation, then neither side could produce a winning goal in extra time. The match was played at Wembley Stadium in London, England, which was filled with English fans preparing to celebrate the country’s first major international trophy since the 1966 World Cup. 

Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci mocked the England team’s anthem “its coming home,” as he chanted “It’s coming to Rome. It’s coming to Rome,” in the post-game celebrations. 

Italy’s goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma stood tall in the net, playing a decisive role in Italy’s shootout victory. England’s three misses came from Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, all players who were subbed on later in the game. These three who missed are some of the youngest on the squad. Saka is just 19 years old. 

Less than four years ago, Italy hit rock bottom as an international team after failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Now, earning the title of the best team in Europe and maintaining a 34-game unbeaten streak, manager Roberto Mancini and the Italian side have had a historical turnaround. 

“It was impossible even to just consider this at one stage, but the guys were just amazing. I have no words for them,” said Mancini after the match. 

England captain Harry Kane spoke on the team’s heartbreak. “The boys couldn’t have given more, Penalties are the worst feeling in the world when you lose. It’s been a fantastic tournament, we should be proud, hold our heads up high. It’s going to hurt now, it’s going to hurt for a while.”

The game started perfectly for England, as Luke Shaw hammered home the fastest goal in EURO final history off of a cross from Kieran Trippier in the second minute. This goal was the only real chance England had throughout the 120 minutes of gameplay, as England hardly possessed the ball for the remainder of the match. 

On both squads, the players considered “penalty specialists” struggled from the spot and the spotlight ended up on the goalkeepers, both of whom proved their worth. However, Donnarumma made crucial saves and ultimately earned his side the trophy as well as earning himself Player of the Tournament.