Edoardo Luppari was the last president of Edo Mestre
the character
There is a Venetian heart that will beat in Belgium. This is what many fans from Mestre will remember being of the last president of Edo Mestre who in 2014 passed the baton and category to Mestre and closed 50 years of permanence in the amateur categories. Edoardo Luppari, son of Terzio, last commander, as he likes to remember, of a ship that had tried to land among the “greats” of the D but which had always had to give it up a few miles from the coast, now in Brussels, in the “fusion ”Of Molenbeek, is the coordinator of Molenbike, a project that promotes social cohesion through the use of bicycles, promoted by the same municipality that has a high density of foreigners and a high number of young people. «In some ways I regret Italy, but here I found many other stimuli», says Luppari, «when I left I was very bitter. I had no prospects and little room for movement. This is why we came here ».
And in Belgium he will now be able to experience the fourth among the particular “adversary” cheering. «Brussels is among the most cosmopolitan realities in the world, but despite everything it is nice to see how all the inhabitants support Belgium, because this nation has an international affiliation. I saw Belgium-Portugal at the neighborhood bar. There were only four Anderlecht fans who railed in Flemish, but the owner of the club was Portuguese, who for obvious reasons did not take part in the home team, and the waitress, of clear Eastern European origins, at the end of the game exulted saying “we won”. My children, glued to the screen, also cheered because now they can go to school all dressed in red and with their faces painted in the colors of the national team. A nice way to cheer, to take advantage of this popular moment that is not exclusive to the Belgians, also because you can find the Belgians here… ».
“Everyone celebrates for the victory, you see Moroccans with the Belgian flag out of the car. After all, Brussels is cosmopolitan, a free, international city in transition, with situations changing at an impressive speed, but so is the national one. But this is Belgium, a country that has two souls, German and French, and lives them both with passion. The same passion that you see while cheering and that has also taken my children Lupo, who was born in Venice and Josse, who was born here, who despite having two nationalities, Italian for dad and French for mom Camille, says he is Belgian”.
The cheering of the youngest son … but which jersey will Edoardo Luppari want to wear today? «More than divided by the cheering, I feel multiplied by two», Luppari replies, «Whether one or the other wins, I’m happy, at least one of the two will go to the semifinals. Also because here in Belgium a first victory was also the elimination of France. Which came out on penalties and my children, who for the first time attended the 11-meter lottery, I have not yet told how terrible they can be, as in the history of Edo Mestre ». Because, concludes Luppari, “I don’t die without football but I suffer from the absence of Edo”. –
Alessandro Torre