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Italy to Host Euro 2020 Opener with Crowd, Says Federation Chief

UEFA Euro 2020 mascot Skillzy poses for a photo with the official match ball at Olympiapark in Munich, Germany, March 3, 2020. (Reuters)
UEFA Euro 2020 mascot Skillzy poses for a photo with the official match ball at Olympiapark in Munich, Germany, March 3, 2020. (Reuters)
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Italy to Host Euro 2020 Opener with Crowd, Says Federation Chief

UEFA Euro 2020 mascot Skillzy poses for a photo with the official match ball at Olympiapark in Munich, Germany, March 3, 2020. (Reuters)
UEFA Euro 2020 mascot Skillzy poses for a photo with the official match ball at Olympiapark in Munich, Germany, March 3, 2020. (Reuters)

Italy will host the opening game of the European Championship as planned with a crowd in the stadium, according to the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina.

The tournament, which was postponed last year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, is set to kick off at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico on June 11 when Italy host Turkey.

“I’m sure that we will open the European Championship in Rome and that we will do it with a crowd in the stadium,” Gravina told a news conference on Friday.

“I still don’t know how many spectators there will be, but there will definitely be a crowd.”

Italy is one of 12 host nations across Europe, and plans for the month-long tournament to go ahead as originally planned have been questioned as COVID-19 continues to spread.

European football governing body UEFA said after a meeting with host nations in January that it had moved its deadline for federations to submit plans for accommodating fans inside grounds to early April.

“We have invested two years of hard work and we’re convinced that by April 7 we will have feedback to present to UEFA, who won’t be able to ignore it,” Gravina added.

The FIGC announced on Friday that Italy have arranged Euro 2020 warm-up matches against San Marino and Czech Republic.

The Sardegna Arena in Cagliari will host the game against San Marino on May 28 before a clash with the Czechs on June 4 at Bologna’s Stadio Renato Dall’Ara.

Italy face Euro 2020 Group A rivals Turkey, Switzerland and Wales in Rome, while the Italian capital is also due to host a quarter-final game.

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Antonelli Becomes F1's Youngest Polesitter in Any Format

May 2, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) during Sprint Race Qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
May 2, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) during Sprint Race Qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
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Antonelli Becomes F1's Youngest Polesitter in Any Format

May 2, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) during Sprint Race Qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
May 2, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli (12) during Sprint Race Qualifying for the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Mercedes' Italian rookie Kimi Antonelli became Formula One's youngest polesitter in any format after a mighty final lap in Miami Grand Prix sprint qualifying on Friday.
The 18-year-old, preparing for only his sixth grand prix weekend, lapped with a best time of one minute 26.482 seconds to pip McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri by 0.045 seconds.
McLaren's Lando Norris was third fastest with Red Bull's four-times world champion Max Verstappen completing the second row on the day he announced he had become a father for the first time.
"I did not see that coming, to be honest. I thought the lap was good and I was happy with it," said a surprised Antonelli, who replaced seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes in January.
"There were still a few bits where I could have done a bit better but I feel super happy with how I put all the sectors together."
The previous youngest ever pole sitter was Sebastian Vettel at the age of 21 years and 73 days in 2008 at the Italian Grand Prix with Toro Rosso, now Racing Bulls, before sprint races existed.
According to Reuters, Mercedes boss Toto Wolff said it did not matter what kind of pole it was.
"It's about the trajectory. It's not whether it's a pole in only the sprint, or a pole tomorrow or in the future, he's done it and he's quickest," said the Austrian.
HAMILTON SEVENTH
Hamilton, winner of the first sprint race of the season in China from pole position for Ferrari, qualified seventh with teammate Charles Leclerc sixth. Mercedes' George Russell will line up ahead of them in fifth.
Only the top eight places in Saturday's 100km race score points.
Williams had Alex Albon qualify eighth with French rookie Isack Hadjar ninth for Racing Bulls and Fernando Alonso completing the top 10 for Aston Martin.
Piastri leads closest rival Norris by 10 points and will be chasing his third grand prix win in a row in Sunday's main event, with qualifying for that race taking place after the Saturday sprint.
"We can still fight from there in the sprint tomorrow. All in all pretty happy," said the Australian.
"We've got a bit more pace to unlock hopefully, so I'm feeling positive still. I'll try to make up a spot in the sprint before we get stuck into where the big points are."
Norris, who took his first grand prix win in Miami last year said he was also happy to get a good lap in.
Russell and Antonelli were one-two in the first phase of qualifying at the Hard Rock Stadium complex, with Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda the big casualty of the session in 18th place.
The Japanese locked up into turn 17, failing to complete the lap, and then lost out when he slowed to leave a gap to Verstappen and then failed to beat the clock.
Alpine's Australian Jack Doohan also went out at the first hurdle, venting at the team for a pitlane mess-up with teammate Pierre Gasly, who made contact with the wall in phase two and qualified 13th.
"That's not acceptable," Doohan, still with a question mark over his future, fumed over the radio. "You guys put me out of Q1. That's a joke."
Norris was fastest in the second phase, ahead of Verstappen and Piastri.
Russell and Verstappen were the only ones to set a lap time early in Q3, with the others waiting until two minutes from the end to go out on track.
Antonelli emerged as the quickest, the first Italian to take a pole of any sort since Giancarlo Fisichella in Belgium with the Mercedes-powered Force India team in 2009.
"Well done, lad," said Antonelli's race engineer Peter 'Bono' Bonnington. "I think we're getting somewhere."