Tonight all of Italy will be like Fantozzi. At least in spirit, because the literal description in the film “The second tragic Fantozzi” was deliberately surreal: “Socks, underpants, flannel dressing gown, small table in front of the TV, onion omelette for which he was crazy, Peroni’s family is frozen, cheering frenzied and free belch ». These are the words of the scene in which the national team match at Wembley begins – never really played – told in the film. Made memorable with the iconic “Excuse me, who hit the stake?”.
Today, 45 years after the film’s release, Mancini’s Italy will play its first match at Wembley on Saturday night. Exactly as told in the film more or less halfway through. There are precedents for the national team at England, but the day or the stadium never coincided with the film. Also in this case there is an exception: the match will not be against England but with Austria, an exception to the rules given by the Euro 2020 format. And on the pitch there is no qualification for the World Championships, but access to the quarters of the European Championship.
Even the fans of Italy, tonight, will not want to be disturbed by the phone. Even less from a screening of “The battleship Kotiomkin” imposed by his own superior and fanatic of arthouse cinema, he has a very rare personal copy which he inflicts almost every week on his subordinates. Hoping, however, that Italy will be the best start for the Azzurri “in 170 years”. And that the final proves it, much less than a 20-0 is enough.