EURO 2008

*Cough cough*, I think I can’t describe which embarassment my national team has given me during these last days… being the World Champions is not easy, and yet I had no real good feelings since the beginning. I don’t know what is going to happen on tuesday, but I hope the match to be a wonderful one.

In addition to this… tonight I have read an article on a famous italian newspaper’s website: www.gazzetta.it , here there were listed all the strangest and funniest things said in and about Euro 2008. Many of them made me laugh, other ones made me deeply think about the Italian team.

One of them is apparently a txt message sent by one player to a world champion who is now at home (and they are few)…, this message said: “We are in physical good conditions, but we enter in the field with fear”…

WHY?

The immutable things…

There are things that cannot be changed. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, these things never leave you. They are part of you as you are part of them.

This awareness is kind of comforting. I am talking, of course, about soccer. And here the laughings should start…:)

It’s about 16 days I am here in the United States and I am starting to catch the pace. Now, I understand 88% of what people say and I am pretty satisfied on my commute strategy. I don’t get lost anymore and I don’t look as an alien anymore, while walking near the skyscrapers. All these things have changed during these days, still there is something which doesn’t: head in the soccer! I know, I know, someone could complain of this being a mere commonplace…, but I tell you: commonplaces start spreading around on a basis and this one makes no exception.

It was friday afternoon and after a bad morning spent at the social security administration (now everything is solved) I arrived at work. The first thing I did turning the computer, keeping a low profile… 14:45 ET, 20:45, GMT+1… Italy-Belgium, a friendly match starts. This was the only friendly match Italy played before the European Championship, so I was full of curiosity and excitement. But, (there is always a “but”) I had some work to do… and so… I didn’t care and did it all together. Checking work and in the meantime listening to the internet radio, the match was broadcasted by the national network! 14:54 ET – Italy scored its first Goal, Debra noticed my elation, but preferred not to remark it. 14:55 Jamie came by my place and told me I had take part in a meeting… I left my place happy, I was calm: we were 1-0 over. The meeting ended up 40 minutes later. I sat at the desk and listened to the live comment to the second goal. I couldn’t believe how amazingly lucky I was! The happiness was visible on my face and the work was even funnier to get done!

I get crazy when the national team is playing… and I wonder… what will be my reactions if Italy scores…against someone now I don’t even want to report? Gosh, I cannot immagine…

My passion is also about being updated, and an entire array of vituperate words came out of my mouth (of course in Italian), when I found out about Fabio Cannavaro’s accident and his, for the time being, finished Championship. Che C***o di Sfiga!!! That cannot even be translated, but it’s similar to: What the bloody “systematic misfortune”!!!

By the way, I wish Captain Cannavaro the Best, and hope to see him soon in Procida with its boat and kids.

ALWAYS WITH YOU, CAPTAIN!