Today was an exciting day – today we got to participate in one of Italy’s favorite pastimes, watching soccer! We got to go to a home match at the stadium in Florence and it was one of the coolest experiences I have had here.
Our team colors are white and purple, so I went across the street with my roommates to a guy selling Florence souvenirs (alas, to have a closet full of clothes and nothing to wear). I got a t-shirt that had the Florentine symbol on it (a purple fleur-de-lis), one roommate got a ball cap, and the other got a scarf. After getting all suited up, we headed off to the meeting point to walk to the stadium (looking quite festive, if I do say so myself).
As we walked to the meeting spot, we walked past Piazza Santa Croce. I almost lost my bearings because instead of being filled with tourists and leather merchants, the piazza was stuffed with military trucks, tanks, and good-looking service men. It seemed to be like a recruiting day because there were representatives from many different Italian military groups (like the Naval Academy). Even if it was a recruiting weekend, it was set up like a carnival; little kids scrabbled in and out of tanks, vendos were selling kebab and roasted chestnuts, and a military band was playing peppy tunes. It was something that you rarely see in Florence, which in turn made it really awesome.
After getting to the meeting point and getting my ticket (which had my name on it, which is a pretty good idea), my program leaders led us to the stadium. It was a little far (like a 40 minute walk), but it was cool because I got to see a side of Florence that I have not seen before. I found another train station! It was very exciting!
The soccer game was AMAZING! We sat in an uncovered section, right in front of the wall (it was clear, of course) that separated the spectators from the field. They were great seats (even if we got a little wet because it was raining) and some pretty diehard fans surrounded us. The game was between Florence and Verona and Florence won! It was amazing to watch our city’s soccer team play; watching them win was just a bonus.
This was my first time watching a live soccer game and what gave the game character were the fans surrounding us. It was so funny to hear them yelling at the ref when a bad call was given and talking to each other about how they could coach better than the paid, professional coach. It made me smile how sports fans are the same, no matter where they live. What was also cool is how the fans really care about their teams. For every event on the field, there was a song that the crowd began to sing. And if something did not have a special song, the “Florentina Fight Song” was sung. The fans also care about their team. Whenever a Florence soccer player got hit, the crowd would yell at the ref to sit the offender out and have the medic come look at the injured player (even though most of the time the player was perfectly fine). It was heartwarming to see the public care about their sports team so much.
After the soccer game, we all walked back to our apartments, excited and in a celebratory mood. The soccer game had been particularly dry (thankfully), but as we made our ways back to our apartments, it began to heavily pour (which dampened the celebratory mood). Arriving at my apartment, I was soaking wet and freezing cold, but so happy. I had the best time at the soccer game. It was great to be able to watch a sporting event with the locals and be able to rejoice with them in the victory of OUR team. It was truly a great day.
Ciao!
No comments:
Post a Comment