Italy attracts big-time viewers

Some stats in from the Italians sports papers today: approximately 23,400,000 Italians (out of a total population of 57 million people) were glued to their tv sets for Italy-Ghana the other day (including me). Not a bad figure which even surpasses some of the games for the Italia’90 World Cup. This is no doubt due to two factors: number one, and probably THE most important reason, is that the Italian soccer team was playing, and during a World Cup event, that always brings the entire country to a quasi-standstill. The other reason is that Italy for the last two months or so has been rocked by a massive soccer scandal which has hit FA presidents, refs, top Serie A teams, coaches, managers, players, sports journalists you name it, they’re involved in the scandal. Italians in general are perhaps a wee bit nauseated by the entire scandal and so just want to get back to the basics: to watch good Italian-style soccer. Minus 3 days and counting for Italy’s second match against the U.S. on Saturday!