I know there are not many soccer fans here, but it is daddy’s blog and I shall post what I want.
Italy failed to classify for the World Cup.
Italy has always been one of the top teams in the World Cup. The last time they did not make it was before I was born more than half a century ago. Soccer is the second religion of Italy close behind Catholicism… and then maybe I am being too conservative.
I have been trying to find an equivalent in the US, but I can’t. We are talking an important part of the soul of the Country has been soiled and it has to be hurting the most that they lost against Sweden, a good team but not historically a great team. I would not be surprised that the Coach and players are under police protection right now.
Economically, FIFA is gonna take it in the chin. The Tifosi (Fans of Italian soccer) will now not give a damn about the World Cup and will not watch it. And I am not talking just Italy but millions of descendants of immigrants that left before and after WWII and moved to the Americas. Even in soccer countries like Brazil and Argentina, the Italian team has dyed-in-the-wool fans just because it is a family thing. The rest of the big teams have classified, but still is gonna affect the bottom line.
The good news? A bunch of tickets pre-assigned to Italian fans will now be available.
There is a strange opinion among American intelligentsia that only Americans are nationalistic, and the entire rest of the world* is a huggy group of cosmopolitan internationalist.
An opinion which only displays their provincialism.
*which is Europe and only Europe
That is true and soccer having a list of incidents leading to grave bodily injuries and death among countries.
Even a short-lived war.