Football Fans Are Absolutely Loving Giorgio Chiellini's Antics Before Italy's Penalty Shootout

Was it early mind games or was he simply having a bit of fun out there?

I guess we'll never truly know.

One thing is for certain though and it's that Giorgio Chiellini's pre-penalty shootout antics were a joy to watch.

PA

Just minutes before his side were about to take on Spain in a do-or-die penalty shootout for a spot in the Euro 2020 final, the Italy captain couldn't look any more calm and composed.

Granted, he probably knew he wasn't one of the five initial penalty-takers for the Azzurri - but that doesn't matter, he still would've had to step up to the plate if it went to sudden death.

During the coin flip to decide which end the shootout would take place, Chiellini and Spanish skipper Jordi Alba reflected two very contrasting characters.

Alba, with his eyes fixated on the referee and barely breaking a smile, looked pretty serious during the entire exchange.

Nervous? Potentially.

As for Chiellini, he was having the time of his life, prodding his opposite number and cracking jokes with the officials.

Grinning from ear to ear, Chiellini even gave Alba a cheeky slap round the chops after eventually winning the coin toss.

And as they went to shake hands before returning to their team huddles, the towering Italian pulled Alba in for a massive hug and cheered loudly in his ear.

Their exchange instantly went viral online, of course, with football fans from around the globe in awe of Chiellini's hilarious antics.

If you look back at the resumes of the two captains, it's hard to see where they've actually played together and whether they were already friends.

Bar the odd Champions League clash, they've barely come into contact with each other throughout their decorated careers which makes this latest interaction all the more brilliant.

Despite barely knowing the bloke, Chiellini is just so comfortable in ripping into him ahead of such a huge moment in the tournament.

Gotta love it when you see a player still loving the game as if they were a 6-year-old - not 36.

Topics: Football News, Football, Euro 2020, Jordi Alba, Spain, Giorgio Chiellini, Australia, Italy

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry