Twitter’s hilarious reaction to Giorgio Chiellini’s cynical shirt tug foul on Bukayo Saka

Saving Saka from a cliff edge, keeping him from the European Championship trophy… and a Superman impression!: Giorgio Chiellini’s pull-back on England winger gets the meme treatment as fans joke about his outrageous foul in the Euro 2020 final

  • Bukayo Saka was hauled down to the ground by defender Giorgio Chiellini 
  • Saka nipped past the defender who pulled him down by the scruff of his shirt 
  • The moment has sparked a hilarious reaction on social media with memes
  • They show Chiellini saving the England winger from various situations
  • There are also some of the defender stopping Saka from winning the Euros 
  • Find out the latest Euro 2020 news including fixtures, live action and results here


Bukayo Saka was cynically dragged to the ground by Giorgio Chiellini during England’s Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy.

The teenager nipped past the veteran defender and looked to be on the break for England late into regulation time.

He was stopped in his tracks though when the veteran defender forcefully hauled him down to the ground by the scruff of his shirt.

Bukayo Saka was cynically pulled to the ground by Giorgio Chiellini when on the break

The incident has sparked off a hilarious reaction on Twitter with memes doing the rounds

The incident has sparked off a hilarious reaction on Twitter with memes doing the rounds

The 36-year-old Italian offered his hand out to Saka, who initially was understandably less than impressed, but eventually embraced his opponent.

Chiellini’s dastardly pull on Saka has sparked a hilarious reaction on social media, with many memes doing the rounds on Twitter. 

The majority of them show Chiellini saving the England winger from various situations, with one of him flying through the air as Superman stopping Saka from dropping to the ground. 

One user posted the caption ‘the lives that Chiellini saves,’ with images of the Italian as Superman stopping Saka from falling to the ground, preventing the England winger from falling off a cliff and going into lava.

There were others of him preventing Saka from walking into the road, falling off a building and a cliff, and going into lava. 

Others took a different approach, with one showing Saka getting his shirt caught on a door handle, while other portrayed the incident as a Vincent van Gogh painting.  

There were memes of Chiellini saving Saka in different situations

There were memes of Chiellini saving Saka from different situations

There were several showing Chiellini saving Saka from differing situations

Heartbreakingly, England lost the final to Italy, in their first major finals appearance in 55 years.

Others used England’s misfortune as a sort of inspiration with one having the caption ‘football’ written over Saka, with Chiellini preventing the Arsenal forward from going home.

Similar to that, there was another of Chiellini stopping Saka from grabbing the European Championship trophy.  

Others took a different approach including Saka getting his shirt caught in a door handle

Others took a different approach including Saka getting his shirt caught in a door handle

One portrayed the incident as a painting by famous artist Vincent van Gogh

One portrayed the incident as a painting by famous artist Vincent van Gogh

After the challenge Chiellini was given a yellow card, though some English supporters wanted the defender to be punished more.

The night ended in a heartbreaking way for Saka who has been one of England’s stars throughout the tournament.

Saka missed the fifth and deciding penalty which was saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma, as Italy were crowned European Champions at Wembley. 

Saka was frustrated at first by Chiellini but eventually embraced the Italian defender

Saka was frustrated at first by Chiellini but eventually embraced the Italian defender