Heartbreak after hope.
That was the mood across Greater Manchester as England’s dream of European Championship glory evaporated.
There were tears shed as the team lost out to Italy during a nail-biting penalty shootout.
And as Italy ended the Three Lions’ bid for glory with a 3-2 victory on penalties at Wembley, fans headed home defeated.
At EventCity, in Trafford, supporters trundled away but not before a round of applause for a team that were so very close to victory.
But in Stevenson Square fans refused to let the loss get them down and carried on singing long after the final whistle.
Meanwhile, the devastation was palpable at The Garsdale, in Bury - which is co-owned by England hero Kieran Trippier’s brother Kelvin.
Stuart Howarth, who watched the game there, said afterwards: “It’s so heartbreaking to think of what could have been.
“The only major tournament we remember is the semis in the 90s and that ended in heartbreak.
“We’ve been living in hope that we’d get beyond that and we got so close tonight.
“It feels horrific”
Meanwhile, at Wembley Stadium, Prince George was among fans left reeling at the loss.
The Prince - who had beamed with delight when Luke Shaw scored in the second minute of the game - was watching the match with his parents, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The Duke of Cambridge described England’s Euro 2020 defeat as “heartbreaking”, but told the team “you can all hold your heads high, and be so proud of yourselves”.
England’s early lead, putting them 1-0 up just two minutes into the first half, was not enough to clinch victory, leaving fans devastated.
A win would have been the men’s football team’s first major tournament win since the 1966 World Cup success, which also took place at Wembley.
