Students from all over the world come to Italianme, and they all cultivate great passions connected with Italian culture. Often, besides the love for the language of Dante, what makes them fall in love with Italy are art, opera, food, la dolce vita and… football.

In fact, it would be difficult to hold a conversation with an Italian without having a basic knowledge of the world of Italian football.

Italians, as everyone knows, ignore the most basic rules of baseball, rugby or tennis, but everyone (even those who are not experts) knows what is being talked about when somebody says “fuori gioco” (offside), “rete” (goal), “rigore” (penalty), “cartellino giallo” (yellow card).

Here are four basic pieces of information that are useful to know if you want to be ready for a typical bar discussion about Italian football.

WHO ARE “GLI AZZURRI”: this is the name given to the players of the Italian national football team.

WHERE DO THEY TRAIN: the players of the national team prepare in Coverciano, a district on the hills of Florence! In Coverciano there is also a very special museum, the Football Museum, which houses all the memories and the memorabilia that have shaped the history of Italian football.

FRIENDS \ ENEMIES: during international competitions such as the European Championship or the World Cup, the fans experience very different moods. Playing against the Spanish national team, or against any South American team, is definitely a celebration, almost a moment of sporting friendship. But things change when Italy plays against France and Germany. I am not saying that hate is flowing, but a victory over the BLEUS or over the Germans certainly brings much more satisfaction. You can imagine how much happiness there was in Italy in 2006, when the Azzurri won in Berlin against the host country the semi-final that would then take them to win the World Cup against France!

“FORZA ITALIA!”: for the past 20 years, the fans rarely enhance the Azzurri with these words because Forza Italy since 1994 is also a political party.

The students who attend our Italian courses in Florence often ask us for help in buying a ticket to go to the Florence stadium and watch a Fiorentina match, and we are more than happy to help them. For some matches we manage to find tickets at reduced prices for our students, and they take the chance. It is an experience they love, because it connects them with Florentine life and makes them feel part of the city. Of course, in that case the colour to support will not be blue, but purple: the football team of the city of Florence is “la Viola”, and its crest is a red lily on a white and purple background. And remember: you can shout “FORZA VIOLA” at the top of your voice, with no problem at all.