Blog: Australia's Italian community gears up for World Cup

Italians are obsessive about many things: coffee, food, clothing, sports cars. They are also extremely passionate about football and that love for the beautiful game has filtered through the generations of the large Italian community in Australia.

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Italian national soccer players Giorgio Chiellini (L), Claudio Marchisio (C) and Marco Parolo (R) during a training session of the four-time World Champion in Coverciano, near Florence, Italy. (AAP)

The fervor reaches its peak during the FIFA World Cup.

“I think it's important for the young Italo-Australians who are now becoming second and third generations that connection with Italy becomes more distant, but that is definitely one way that they can keep that connection with Italy,” said Italian Australian, Joe Napoliello.

The Azzuri have a rich history at the tournament.

They’ve been world champions four times, with their first victory dating back to 1934.

Italy was the first team to defend the title, but perhaps the most memorable victory for the current generation was its 2006 triumph.

“Winning that game was out of this world," Joe recalled. "And Norton street - from when the game finished to about five or six hours later - was closed and the street was full of people."

“We closed at midday because we were just too drunk, we couldn't work anymore. People were just coming in with bottles of champagne," added his brother, Franco Napoliello.

For this tournament, Italy has been drawn alongside England, Uruguay and Costa Rica in Group D.

“Because Italians are traditionally slow starters, having a group like this, I think Italians feel that will allow them to be ready from day one and get on with the tournament,” Joe said.

Italy's key player in Brazil is likely to be Mario Balotelli, a star striker born in Africa who has been racially abused by his own fans in the past.

The Napoliellos are big Balotelli fans and hope he can make the difference at this World Cup.

“He suffers a lot too in Italy," Franco said. "He's born in Ghana, he's black, he's brought up in Italy, he's more Italian than most people I know, but he still cops a lot because he's not a typical looking Italian."

If Balotelli can lead Italy to a fifth World Cup triumph, it may aid in altering attitudes as well as sparking wild celebrations in Australia’s Italian community.


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2 min read

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By Vitor Sobral


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