Marcus Rashford of England (No.11) is consoled by teammates as he misses their third penalty in the shootout against Italy during the Euro 2020 final at Wembley Stadium on July 11 in London, England. Photo: VCG

The wait goes on for football to "come home" after England suffered defeat to Italy in the UEFA Euro 2020 final at Wembley.

For Italy, the hero was goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, the new PSG keeper who thwarted two England kickers in the shootout and watched another hit the post.

For England, goalkeeper Jordan Pickford saved as many from the spot as Donnarumma, but ended up on the losing side after teammates Marcus Rashford, Jordan Sancho and Bukayo Saka were unsuccessful from 12 yards.

The Three Lions trio were consoled by their teammates - Kalvin Phillips running through the celebrating Italians to comfort Saka, who missed the fifth and final pen to send the trophy to Rome rather than "home" - but were racially abused by far too many people on social media.

England coach Gareth Southgate, who brought Rashford and Sancho on with a minute to go in extra time specifically to take penalties, condemned the abuse.

"It's just not what we stand for," Southgate said. "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.

"We have shown the power our country has when it does come together­ and has that energy and ­positivity ­together.

"It's my decision who takes the penalties, it's not a case of players not volunteering or more experienced players backing out," Southgate told Euro 2020 final broadcaster ITV.

"No-one is on their own in that situation. We decided to make the changes right at the end of the game and we win and lose together as team."

Southgate took responsibility for the decisions over who took the kicks.

 "That's my decision to give him that penalty so it is totally my responsibility: It is not him, Marcus or Jadon. We worked on it in training and that's the order we came to. 

"It is always the risk you run but they have been by far the best and to get all those attacking players on you have to do it late.

"It was a gamble but if we gambled earlier we may have lost the game in extra-time any way."

England skipper Harry Kane told the BBC that he was proud of the effort of his teammates at the Euros.

"Penalties are obviously are the worst thing in the world when you lose," he said. "Of course it's going to hurt for a while but we are on the right track and hopefully we can progress from this next year."

New hopes

Next year is the FIFA World Cup in Qatar and Southgate hopes to still be in charge, something which the ­players will surely back after reaching the semifinals at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and then a first final since 1966 at the Euro 2020.

Southgate has been protective of all of his players even before the tournament when they were booed for taking the knee before games. The players have been united behind him.

 "It wasn't to be but our time will come... Always believe!" wrote Jude Bellingham on social media. "England's youngest player in the squad was not done there.

"A devastating end to a journey we can be very proud of. Very grateful to have been given the experience to share a pitch and changing room with such a great group of players and people," he wrote in another tweet.

Jordan Henderson, the Liverpool captain, was similarly vocal on Monday morning after defeat.

"Hurts even more this morning, this team deserved more. Been incredible to be a part of this campaign and see the joy it's brought fans around the country after a very tough 18 months or so," he wrote on Twitter.

"To see the growth of individuals and as a collective has been incredible, the character we've shown, the desire & sacrifice for each other has been something really special.

"It says a lot about the lads who took a pen last night, huge courage, but we win & lose as a team & we will learn from this experience. We didn't manage to get over the line in the end, but we'll be back, this is just the ­beginning."

Kieran Trippier, who set up Luke Shaw for the opening goal but was substituted for Saka long before penalties, added his two cents on Twitter.

"Such a young talented group of players. We gave everything we had for you fans and I'm sorry it wasn't enough. We will be back stronger."

Not at peak 

Kane, Henderson and Trippier are all among the elder statesmen of what was one of the youngest England squads to go to a major tournament.

"We know this team is not at its peak yet," Southgate said after the game.

He's right. Bellingham is 18, Saka a year older, Sancho, Reece James and Phil Foden are 21. Declan Rice and Mason Mount, who both started the final, are 22 and Rashford is 23. Ben Chilwell and Dominic Calvert-Lewin are 24, Jack Grealish just 25 and Luke Shaw turned 26 the day after the final.

That's not to mention Mason Greenwood, 19, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, 22, who both missed out.

Perhaps everything - absolutely everything - that happened at the Euros can see this England squad become even stronger still? Whatever happens, these are the right players and Southgate is the man to take them.