A Great Ball of Fire

Salve!

Sunday, I attended my first European futbol match. I figured with only two weeks left, it was something that definitely needed to be checked off my cultural to-do list. I have never been a huge soccer fan, so I was definitely there to focus on experiencing the culture of the game. The game was between Inter Milan and Cagliari. We were assigned to the Inter Milan cheering section, so blue and black would be the colors to rock. We were told to avoid red and light blue, because futbol fans can get a little intense and aggressive.

After the four hour bus ride to Milan, we arrive at the stadium which is HUGE. I would compare it to a really intense looking parking garage with grey concrete all along the outside. We hopped off the bus and were instantly surrounded by creepy men selling cheap fan wear and giving out “free” bracelets. They would not go away and followed us all the way into the stadium. We were all getting a little mean by the thirtieth man that came up to us. It was probably the one thing that really bothered me about the Italian futbol atmosphere. I guess that they came up to us more than usual because we were Americans, but still.

 

Outside the stadium, there were stands with souvenirs and food. We got hotdogs that were delicious! You could put anything from peppers to sauerkraut on them. However, me being the picky eater that I am, I got my hotdog plain. Still good though!

After enjoying our lunch, we headed into the stadium. We had to finish everything beforehand, because you couldn’t bring anything into the stadium. I guess they are trying to limit the amount of alcohol consumption because crowds tend to get a little rowdy. Our seats were definitely in the nose bleed section and it was quite a hike to the top. However, even as high up as we were, we still had a great view. The stadium holds 80,000 people which is insanely big and there were fans everywhere. The nice part of the stadium was that even though the roof was open to the outside, all the seats were covered so if it had rained we would have been fine. It kind felt like we were inside, even though it was freezing cold.

 

The game got going and Italians are definitely into their soccer. However, it was almost a home comfort. I grew up in the south where SEC football is everything and it definitely reminded me of that kind of atmosphere. Fans’ cheers sounded very similar even though they were in Italian. There was just such a solidarity between the fans, which is something you also find in the United States. Its something that brings all different cultures together even if the main event is slightly different.

Two things things that did differ from an American football game was the fans’ reactions to two different events. If the fans didn’t agree with a call, which happens often, they don’t boo and yell. Rather, they make this high pitched screeching sound. It took me a while to figure out what it meant and I still have no idea how it came out of a human mouth. Haha. The other odd tradition took place after the home team scored. About a minute after the goal, the fans shot off four canons within the crowd that started little fires. So there were literally ball of fires in the middle of the crowds, which is something I have never seen before. Crazy times.

 

The teams ended up tying 2-2, which did not please the Inter Milan fans, who were definitely the favored team. Some people’s reaction were comical, like one man just grabbed his face and yelled up into the sky. Very dramatic if you ask me.

After the game finished, we got back onto the bus and started our trip back to Paderno. We were sharing the bus with this Italian fan club and it was so odd. At a pit stop, they all went outside, got out this table with a table cloth, and started slicing fresh cheese and bread. There was wine. It was so much fun to watch them just move because there was definitely a system to it. It was highly efficient and just out of nowhere almost. They even offered some to the other American students with me, which was very nice and hospitable of them. I would say that the day was a success and if you are ever in Europe, it is definitely something that you should experience.

Ciao!