Italian football fans are angered at Prince William’s behavior after the Euro finals this past weekend. The royal attended the match at London’s Wembley Stadium alongside wife Kate Middleton and son Prince George, 7.
And even though Italy won the final, Italian fans are saying that the English prince was rude and that he “snubbed” Italy president Sergio Mattarella.
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Italy won the match in penalties, after a tied game and a half hour of extra time without anyone scoring a goal. England fans were left heartbroken - especially as this was the first time the country had made it to the finals of an international cup since they won the World Cup in 1966.
And the outrage that has ensued from fans has only added salt to the wound.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge both remained in their private box during the entirety of the match, and angry Italian fans felt that this behavior was rude. They criticized Prince William for not going over to President Mattarella to shake his hand following Italy’s win.
Prince WIlliam was also accused of leaving before the trophy was awarded.
It is not clear if the prince abstained from greeting the president out of an impolite gesture, or if he was keeping his distance for health and safety measures. COVID-19 is still a risk in the UK, and just last week Kate Middleton even experienced an exposure scare!
This year’s Euros were actually a postponed Cup from 2020. The Cup takes place every four years, and the last one was in 2016.
And Italian fans are not the only ones showing outrage following the finals. Angered at their loss, several English fans have been posting hate messages towards English footballers online - even turning to racist comments.
Prince William has spoken out against this behavior, writing on Twitter, “I am sickened by the racist abuse aimed at England players after last night’s match. It is totally unacceptable that players have to endure this abhorrent behaviour. It must stop now and all those involved should be held accountable.”
