ENGLAND go head to head with Italy tomorrow night in a historic footie final to become European champions. But behind each suave Italian player lies a stunningly beautiful Wag.
Sure to be cheering the stars on will be the glamorous partners of England’s toughest rivals yet. From British pop singer Catherine Harding to former criminology student Jessica Melena, meet the Italy Wags.
Swimsuit model
FRENCH model Jessica Aidi is sure to be cheering on her fiancé Marco Verratti tomorrow night.
The occasion will be doubly special as Jessica celebrates her 30th birthday tomorrow.
In May 2019, she and Marco were spotted holding hands at the Monaco Grand Prix, but didn’t go public until Paris Fashion Week five months later.
The athletic model showed off her figure in a strappy bikini in the 2020 swimsuit edition of Sports Illustrated.
Once the Euros are over, Jessica and Verratti will begin preparations for their wedding.
Influencer
AFTER just three dates with Jessica Melena, hotshot striker Ciro Immobile, 31, told the Italian beauty: “You will be the mother of my children.”
Recalling the message, Jessica – who now has three children with her husband – revealed: “’I said that I thought it was a bit strong, but then soon after he kept his promise. His were true words.’”
Stunning Jessica, 30, who has 970,000 Instagram followers, was a student in criminology and forensic sciences at L’Aquila University when she met Immobile in a restaurant in Abruzzo, Italy.
Soon after, Jessica quit her studies and married Immobile in 2014.
Student
LARGER-than-life goalie Gianluigi Donnarumma has conceded a mere three goals in six games and recently bagged a spot at top French team Paris St Germain.
The 6ft 5in Italian stands head and shoulders above his fiancée Alessia Elefante, 21.
The couple have shared heartwarming photos of Gianluigi bending down to share a kiss with his petite partner.
While student Alessia keeps a low public profile, the 22-year-old has been in a relationship with Gianluigi ever since she was 16.
TV broadcaster
CAPTAIN of Serie A side Torino, Andrea Belotti, 27, welcomed his first child with wife Giorgia Duro in February – but had to wait to meet newborn daughter Vittoria after he tested positive for Covid.
However, dazzling mum Giorgia, 28, said at the time that the couple were doing “fine” and the young family were later reunited.
Giorgia, a TV broadcaster and model, met Andrea in Palermo in 2014, and they married in the church of San Francesco Di Paola, in Palermo, in June 2017.
Beauty queen
FORMER Miss Italy Rachele Risaliti hasn’t been shy about her relationship with midfield ace Gaetano Castrovilli.
Sharing a snap on Instagram of the couple locked in a passionate embrace, Rachele posted the comment “miss you” as Castrovilli rushed off to take part in the Euro 2020 build-up in June.
Born in Prato, Italy, Rachele, 26, rose to fame after being crowned Miss Italia 2016.
And she’s been a keen supporter of her Italian beau, sharing pics of her with fellow Wag Benedetta Quagli online.
Full time mum
FULL-TIME mum Genoveffa Darone – known as Jenny – has been married to Napoli captain Lorenzo Insigne, 30, for nearly ten years.
Friends since childhood, the couple started dating while Lorenzo played for Pescara in Italy.
Their whirlwind romance saw the couple get engaged seven months later, before enjoying an elaborate wedding in their Naples hometown in 2012.
An arts graduate and former saleswoman, dazzling Genoveffa, 28, now dedicates her time to looking after their children Carmine, eight, and six-year-old Christian.
Singer and songwriter
BRITISH singer Catherine Harding will have to pick her side tomorrow as boyfriend Jorginho’s team battles England for the big prize.
Born in Enfield, North London, Catherine rose to fame after reaching the knockout stages of ITV’s The Voice last year.
Her mercurial rendition of I Put A Spell On You captivated judges in the blind auditions and won her a dedicated fan base in Britain.
Spending much of her life in Ireland, Catherine, 30, also shared a fleeting romance with actor Jude Law and in 2015 gave birth to his fifth child, daughter Ada, now six.
A few years later, Catherine and Jorginho quietly coupled up after the footballer split from his wife Natalia Lefteri.
Catherine gave birth to the couple’s son last September, sharing a snap on Instagram of Jax’s tiny feet and the caption, “How crazy life is and how wonderful.”
The singer’s latest flame has clearly fuelled her imagination, as Catherine admitted she has written “a lot of love songs, especially last year”.
When announcing her pregnancy, she said: “I entered into a new relationship and that definitely gave me loads of creativity and inspiration.”
Italian midfielder Jorginho, 29, will be counting on Catherine’s support for Italy tomorrow as his team take on the formidable England team.
Born Jorge Luiz Frello Filho in Brazil, he moved to Italy aged 15, later choosing to play for the country.
The Chelsea player has boosted Italy’s performance in this year’s Euros with his clever positioning and swift passing.
Women’s right’s advocate
THE long-term partner of defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Clarissa Franchi lives in Naples with the football star and their year-old daughter Azzurra.
They have been together since 2013, when Di Lorenzo, 27, began playing for a club in Reggio Calabria, but are not married.
A passionate campaigner of women’s rights, Clarissa, 26, works on the WeWorld campaign with Italian football league Serie A to end violence against women.
London based mum
LIKE her Chelsea player boyfriend Emerson Palmieri, London-based Thaiany Xavier, 27, is originally from Brazil.
Defender Emerson, 26, has been drafted into Roberto Mancini’s side since Leonardo Spinazzola’s achilles injury in Italy’s quarter-final Euros match with Belgium.
Thaiany regularly shares snaps of her glitzy London life with her 62,100 followers on Instagram.
In May, she cheered on her man at Stamford Bridge as the Champions League final saw Chelsea beat Man City 1-0. She posted in her native tongue: “What a joy to be part of this very special moment in your life my love @emerson palmieri.”
Thaiany, who has a daughter from a previous relationship, had a son with Emerson in 2018.
While she wears a diamond ring on her left hand, the couple have not confirmed if they married.
In a recent picture of Thaiany’s birthday party, Emerson gushed: “You deserve the world, my girl, my woman. I love you so much.”
Digital marketing expert
COSTA Rican Thessa Lacovich has been rooting for her boyfriend, midfielder Manuel Locatelli, throughout the tournament.
Sharing a shot of the 23-year-old Italian hunk on her social media, the hazel-haired beauty celebrated her boyfriend’s long-range goal in their early match against Switzerland.
Thessa, 23, who has a masters degree in digital communications strategy, is a digital marketing specialist who moved to Italy to study.
The pair began dating aged 19.
Sports scientist
AFTER their semi-final with Spain went to penalties, midfielder Nicolo Barella scored a vital goal, helping secure Italy’s spot in the coveted Euros final.
But off the pitch, the 24-year-old is supported by his wife Federica Schievenin, 31, who studies sports science, and their daughters Rebecca, four, Lavinia, two, and five-month-old Matilde.
The tight-knit couple were childhood sweethearts and tied the knot in 2017 at the picturesque royal Villa d’Orri in Sardinia.
Model and influencer
BENEDETTA Quagli has been spotted cheering on her boyfriend, rising star Federico Chiesa, throughout the Euro 2020 tournament.
While little is known about the elusive brunette, Benedetta and midfielder Federico, 23, are thought to have been together for two years – and often jet off for lavish trips abroad when Chiesa is off-duty.
Boasting 90,000 followers on her Instagram, Benedetta, 28, loves to share shots of her posing on sun-soaked beaches or playing tennis.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
