As we countdown to mere days before Milan play, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate the beautiful game. Even in times of a global pandemic or civil unrest, this season could only be delayed, not stopped. Despite the bizarre Italian culture of Italian men bickering over ridiculous things, football is coming back. For so many of us, it is more than a sport, or even a religion. It is the life force within us. It is the unstoppable force.
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| Unstoppable |
Football is a sport that has a history that is thousands of years old. Throughout nearly every civilization, there has been a game like football. The rules may have been different, the size of the field different, but the concept was the same. The passion has been passed on through generation after generation, all over the world.
Italy has its own version, called Calcio Storico, which is actually very violent, and closer to modern day rugby. (Perhaps this also helps you understand where Ultras come from.) Yes, Calcio Storico, also known as Calcio Fiorentino, is now known as calcio, and is used to describe the modern game. While that game was played on the sand and today’s game is played on the grass, the passion is still unstoppable.
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| Passion |
The game as we know it today is based on a set of rules developed in 1863 in England. Their game had also been closer to rugby, and now that became a separate sport. The football rules became a sport known as Association Football, which is where the term “soccer” comes from. That term is still used widely today in the United States and in Australia, to differentiate from other sports. But the game is the same, no matter what you call it. It drives all of us from within, whether we are players or spectators. It is a game like no other.
This game, which is played by hundreds of millions of people worldwide, has changed and evolved from many ideas and cultures. But throughout time, it has never died off. The passion and intensity of the game has survived world wars, global pandemics, and more. Even through times we couldn’t play, it has always been alive in our hearts, something that is deeper than just a mere sport. So as football returns to the pitch, we celebrate that it is the unstoppable force.
This post inspired by the music of Muse’s “Invincible”
Our next match is
Coppa Italia Semifinal 2nd Leg
Juventus vs. Milan
Friday, June 12 • 20:45 CEST (2:45pm EDT)