Italians living in Kent have spoken of how they feel after last night's Euro 2020 final.

Roberto Mancini's side broke English hearts after they came back from going a goal down in the second minute, to ultimately winning on penalties.

Italian-born kmtv journalist Tommaso Dimiddio was naturally delighted with the result, but he kept his celebrations low-key.

He said: "I thought about going to the pub to watch the game, but decided it might be wiser to see it at home. Having watched on TV some of what happened in London after the match, I was probably right."

He watched the game at his home in Chatham with his Brazilian girlfriend Juliana.

He said: "It was a very nerve-racking game. I had predicted England would win 1-0, but they seemed to become over-confident after that early first goal and allowed Italy to play the ball too much.

"Once they did that, it was obvious that our goal was going to come.

"I still thought that England had a chance when it went to extra time, because Southgate still has all those super-subs he could have brought on, but for some reason he didn't."

Mr Dimiddio sympathised with England's penalty takers.

He said: "It's a huge responsibility, especially if like Marcus Rashford you're brought on just for that. They're so young!"

After the Italy victory, Mr Dimiddio said: "I opened the windows of my flat and played the Italian national anthem over my speakers, before staying up all night talking to friends and relatives in Italy."

Jo Morgan, who is English, and her partner Phil Lord, who has an Italian mother and has adopted the Italian culture, also watched the game at home in Park Wood, Maidstone.

There was a lot of good-natured banter between the two ahead of the match, but once the whistle sounded for kick-off, things got serious.

A series of photos of the couple tell the story of the match: England's early goal, the Italians' fightback, the end of full time and the final result.

Ms Morgan said: "How do I feel? Gutted doesn't even come close!

"I was so emotional I had to leave the room a couple of times even during the match.

"Phil stayed pretty calm; he probably knew if he celebrated too much I'd have gone for him.

"I expect he did a victory dance on his own after I left the room."

She added: "We're not really talking to each other right now."

Staff at Julius Caesar's Italian Restaurant in Gravesend High Street were celebrating for two reasons.

Before the tournament they put a bet on Italy winning, which looks set to return £1,200.

Meanwhile in Swanley, Giulia Maddox, the Italian wife of Michael Maddox, was forced to watch the game at his mother's house surrounded by his family.

Mr Maddox said: "It was tough for her, the only Italian amid 10 English supporters, but she had the last laugh."

He said: "We had our children with us and they fell asleep, so we actually had to drive home during the penalty shoot-out.

"When we heard the result I had to scream silently so as not to wake the baby."

However, they both have a cause for celebration now.

Mrs Maddox works for wine purchaser Wineflow in Crawley.

'When we heard the result I had to scream silently so as not to wake the baby...'

Mr Maddox said: "Her boss promised to pay for us both to go out to dinner if Italy won!"

He also confessed to being really a rugby fan, not football.

He said: "Some of the things that occurred in London after the match, with fans setting on Italians was really awful.

"We are going to see the Six Nations in Italy next year, but there won't be any violence."

There were disturbances in Maidstone too on Sunday night, with police attacked and two men arrested after fans took to Jubilee Square. Fortunately the disruption was quickly contained and nobody was seriously hurt.

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