He fought with everyone and against everything, and when he scored for Italy in 1988, his celebrations conveyed anger more than joy. He was hardly a bad choice considering his successful coaching history, but was he going to make Italy dream again? At a time of social and economic despair, the country needed football to bring back the joy in these hard times, especially after the pandemic. Italy versus Spain in the semi-final secured nearly 20 million viewers, making it the 35th most-viewed event ever in Italy. Does that start to paint a picture of just what calcio - football - means to Italy?

Source: BBC July 10, 2021 05:25 UTC