An Open Letter To The Italian National Team

Dear Italy,

I have been a fan of your national team since 1991 (or it could be the later part of 1990). I am writing this letter to you to talk to you ahead of the Euro 2020 final against England at Wembley tomorrow or Monday morning based on where I am staying.

In my history as a fan, I have seen you get to two European Championships finals. The first one was in the year 2000 and we were just minutes away from celebrating an unlikely triumph when it was snatched out of our hands and then tragically pierced through our hearts in extra time. I still look at that final with regrets because if only Alessandro Del Piero had put away one of the two chances he had, that goal in the final minutes wouldn’t have mattered. That’s fate and luck.

In 2012, we were royally embarrassed by a far superior team that was at the peak of their powers that day while we were completely out of it. In such cases, you do feel ashamed and have the urge of covering your head in the sand but you got to show class and sportsmanship to applaud the opponents. They were terrific and we were well-beaten.

There were other tournaments where we disappointed despite entering the tournament with high hopes like in 1996 and 2004. We were over-the-hill in 2008 and 2016, we over-achieved a bit. In 2016, maybe if we were on the kinder side of the draw, we might have gone further than the quarter-finals but it is what it is. This is the tale of the rest of my European Championships journey as an Italy fan.

As Italy prepare to face the favourites, England in what is our 10th international tournament final and third European Championship final in my lifetime, I just got to say, bring it home. I am not Italian by citizen or descent but such has been my closeness with the team for 30 years that I feel an attachment to the national team. If you can do it by playing well, great. If not, just bring it home by hook or crook. I feel we are owed one and we are many, many who like me are not Italians by citizens or race but have long supported you. It’s all in your legs, heads and hearts players. For the coaching staff, it is all in your head, heart and words. Forza Italia! Forza Ragazzi!

 

Yours Sincerely,

Ras

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