For the second time in a row Italy does not participate in the World Cup. Absent four years ago in Russia, the Nazionale was not part of the trip to Qatar this year either. A real frustration for Italian supporters, many in a country where football is, by far, the king sport.
“It’s a mixture of rage and sadness“, sums up Alessandro, a fervent supporter of the National.
Melancholy, the Italians are obviously less interested in the world tournament this year. The sports daily Corriere dello Sport, for example, lost 25% of its readership during the World Cup and while the Italian championship (Serie A) is at a standstill.
Quite many fans still continue to follow the competition but must fall back on other teams to support. According to a survey by Corriere dello Sport, 30% of Italians support Argentina.
To find out how the Transalpines are living this tournament, which is so special for them, our correspondent in Rome Valérie Dupont went to take the pulse of the fans.
