ITALY are looking to win the European Championship for only the second time as they face England at Wembley.
And once again they will line up in their trademark blue kit.
But why do Italian sports teams always wear the colour when it’s not featured on their flag?
Why do Italy play in blue?
As many will have noticed, the Italian flag is red, white and green and does not have any blue on it.
And Italy did in fact start off playing in white in 1910, with the country having only completed its unification in 1870 and being unable to decide a colour for its national team.
The cost of dye at the time also made white a logical choice for the Italian kit.
But from 1911, it was decided that Italy should play in Savoy blue to reflect the colour of its then-Royal Family the House of Savoy.
Though Italy became a republic in 1946, the blue colour of its kit was maintained and blue is still featured on the Italian presidential standard.
And all Italy’s sports teams are typically known by the nickname ‘Azzurri’ – literally meaning ‘The Blues’.
Do Italy ever play in white, red or green?
Italy typically wear a white away kit, reflecting the colour they started playing in in 1910.
The Italians also occasionally have green away kits and their current training top is green.
Some junior teams have also worn green in the past, with a tradition previously developing that “apprentice” teams must wear green before earning the senior blue shirt.
Italy football teams virtually never play in red.
Under Benito Mussolini, Italy briefly played in black – the colour favoured by the dictator and his fascist party.
