ROME, Italy -- They came early. Of course they did. Some were draped in blue, some wore hats or carried flags, and some even had painted faces peeking out from beneath their surgical masks, but nearly all the fans at Stadio Olimpico on Friday evening showed up well before the kickoff of Euro 2020's opening game between Italy and Turkey.
They had to.
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Now part of that was the magnetic pull of the moment; after a year's delay, no one wanted to wait any longer for the opening match of this European Championship.