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Wembley arch lit with Italy flag on night when they should have played England

The Wembley arch is lit up in the colours of the Italian flag in a show of solidarity amid the coronavirus pandemic
Image: The Wembley arch is lit up in the colours of the Italian flag in a show of solidarity amid the coronavirus pandemic

The Wembley arch was lit in the Italian flag's colours on Friday to coincide with what would have been the international between England and Italy.

Along with Tuesday night's scheduled friendly against Denmark, the Italy game had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But in a show of solidarity with Italy, which has been one of the countries hardest hit by COVID-19, the arch was lit with the colours of the Italian tricolore for 90 minutes.

In addition to this, the giant LED screens adjacent to Olympic Way displayed the message: 'Siamo separati, ma siamo insieme. Forza Italia #DistantiMaUniti' which translates as 'We are separate, but we are together. Come on Italy #DistantButUnited'.

The arch and giant screens then reverted to a tribute to the NHS which has been in place at the national stadium since March 20.

"Thanks to football, Italy and England have been brought closer together," said Italian Football Federation President Gabriele Gravina.

"I have personally thanked the English Federation President Greg Clarke for tonight's beautiful initiative, and am moved by a sincere feeling of closeness and shared values in such a difficult time for all of Europe.

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"Once we're back on the pitch, both in Italy and on an international level, we'll continue to hold dear the solidarity and friendship strengthened by this emergency."

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