Giorgio Chiellini named England as a ‘serious candidate to win the Euros’ prior to the start of the tournament.
He felt that Gareth Southgate’s side had the ‘quality and physicality’ to go the distance, despite saying they are ‘not easy on the eye’.
Nevertheless, Chiellini insists Italy will not be ‘afraid’ of the Three Lions when they go head-to-head in the final and claims it will be a ‘great game of football’.
Speaking ahead of their Euro 2020 final showdown on Sunday, Chiellini told RAI Sport: ‘We thought that we’d be facing France rather than Spain in the semi-final, as they were the big favourites, they had all the quality needed and international experience.
‘I thought France were a step above the rest, so I had assumed our path towards the final would be Belgium, France and England.
‘I immediately thought England would be a serious candidate to win the Euros. They have quality and physicality, are solid and organised. They might not be easy on the eye, but they are hard to beat.
‘They reached the semi-final at the World Cup, plus it was predictable England would be in the final of the Euros, as they played six out of seven games on home turf.’
He also heaped praise on England captain Harry Kane, saying the Tottenham striker has ‘always been a player he liked’.
Chiellini said: ‘Kane is a player I have always liked a great deal.
‘I remember one of his first internationals in Turin and he immediately made a good impression on me. We’ve been fortunate enough to play against Tottenham, so I know him well.
‘England aren’t just Kane, though, as they also have exceptional players attacking down the wings. Their bench alone could win the Euros, as yesterday they had Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Phil Foden.
‘It’s going to be a great game of football, neither side will be afraid and we’ll both respect each other,’ the Italian added.
Italy will be heading into the game feeling confident – having recorded a remarkable run of 32 games unbeaten.
Nevertheless, Chiellini thought Italy manager Roberto Mancini was ‘crazy’ to talk about Italy winning the tournament this summer.
‘It is a dream that we cultivated over three years and the coach drilled it into our heads until it became a reality,’ Chiellini said.
‘When he told us at the start to think about winning the Euros, we thought he was crazy, and yet we are right there on the verge and just one centimetre away from the trophy.’
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