The players stood in their lines facing the stands as the anthems ran in sequence.
And Leo, standing in the Italian line, did his best with the words, finding most of them and approximating the rest.
Funny enough, when the English anthem started up, he caught himself singing it in his head word for word before he'd noticed he was doing it.
He pressed his lips together and then shook his head internally.
"The irony," he muttered.
Eventually, the players broke off as the captains met at the centre following that.
Donnarumma and Kane went through the coin toss with the referee, and Leo jogged back toward his position after handing his jacket to the kit man near the sideline, and Spalletti caught his eye and nodded once, and Leo nodded back.
"The lineups," the commentator said on the broadcast, "make for fascinating reading on both sides. We start with England, who have Pickford in goal.
