That kind of charm of the Nations League

For those born in Enschede, the Netherlands, the possibility of becoming passionate about football is less than that of being passionate about running, skating and cycling. Football is only in fourth place in the ranking of sports played by kids, undermined by baseball. The fact that the oldest marathon in the country and the second oldest in the world is held in the city, that there are state-of-the-art athletics facilities, that there is one of the most modern and fastest indoor ice skating facilities in the country and the fact that many of the best athletes train there – skating is very popular in the Netherlands – certainly has its weight. And this despite the fact that FC Twente is a team with a good reputation and the stadium, De Grolsch Veste, is small, with thirty thousand seats, but well done, in English they say, from the stands you can see well and offer a nice glance .

There was perhaps no better place to dispute Spain-Italythe second semifinal of the Nations League, the first between the Netherlands and Croatia was played in Rotterdam and finished 2-4 after extra time after the home side’s last-minute equalizer that extended the show, the last goal coming from a penalty Luka Modric, and it’s always a great pleasure to see Modric play again. And there was perhaps no better place because the Nations League, at least for us Italians, who are known to go around saying that we have a good mouth – but most of the other European football enthusiasts are saying it too – is still something suspended between It’s exotic and the mysterious.

Ah, is there the Nations League? It’s easy to hear him ask at the bar, in the tavern, on the street, that there’s always a place where you hear about football. And that’s not the only question. Sometimes, but maybe it’s just a matter of preparation, maybe imperfect communication, you hear the variant: The Nescion what? Embarrassed looks and an ellipsis follow.

The answer is often: the thing they did to not make friendlies. Followed by dumbfounded faces and boh, mah, anvedi, ah well and other similar expressions. Even in Spain, the situation is not so different, he lets people know who lives there and that the ball follows him as well.

Certainly they are partial experiences, perhaps in other cities, in other regions, in other states, world departments of the Nations League, they talk about it, discuss it, follow it intensely and passionately. It cannot be excluded. Let’s hope.

Meanwhile the third edition is drawing to a closeCroatia awaits to know who will face in final on Sunday 18 June at the Stadion Feijenoord, which is none other than the de Kuip, the pool, a quadrilateral that can fill up with over fifty thousand people and that is really nice to see. And for the second time in three editions, the Italian national team has the opportunity to play for the final. Just over a year and a half ago – it was October 2021 – at San Siro the Azzurri lost the opportunity to try to lift the cup against Spain. It finished 1-2. Ferrán Torres García scored twice. Ferrán Torres García is now in a bit of difficulty, having gone from being one of Luis Enrique’s pupils to one of the forgotten ones of Luis de la Fuente, the new coaching commissioner of La Roja. In between a World Cup that started very well and ended very badly. But at least a World Cup, the one Italy saw from home.

Just over a year and a half ago, Italy was the winner of the European Championship and was still dreaming of Qatar, even if by now much of the winning system created by Roberto Mancini was starting to creak. Spain, on the other hand, seemed to have begun to pick up the thread that seemed interrupted after the great successes between the end of the 00s and the beginning of the 2000s. It was bad for them too.

Now the revenge, the desire to return to being winners. And never mind if the Nations League is up for grabs. As Roberto Mancini said “a trophy is still a trophy”. Which is a tautology, but anyhow, it conveys the charm of the trophy well, indeed very well.

But it is only a semifinal. We’ll see for the final, maybe the communication will finally work and Ah but there’s the Nations League, they won’t hear less about it. It would be the fifth final with an Italian or with Italy in a few weeks. They didn’t go very well, but none of them deserved. Certain. But one thing must be said: it can’t rain forever.