Sweden can sleep with the fishes.
Wandering around Lille ahead of Ireland v Italy, chatting with the Italian fans, two things were very clear:
- Italians are very excited to party with the Irish fans.
- They really, really don’t want to see Sweden qualify over Ireland.
Why?
One word – biscotti.
The biscotti is a key concept in Italian football, summing up Italian attitudes towards football institutions, honesty and fair play.
This term comes from an ice-cream brand where the ice-cream is surrounded by two biscuits (think Iceberger and you’re on the right track).
The biscuits don’t touch each other, but squeeze a dollop of ice-cream between them – exactly like two opponents who won’t hit each other, but will manage to squeeze out a third party standing in their way. Read more about it here in this excellent explanation.
Back in Portugal at Euro 2004, Sweden played out a 2-2 draw with Denmark which saw both Scandinavian teams qualify for the next round, while Italy were eliminated. At the time, both teams were enraged at suggestions they had agreed to a mutually beneficial draw, but over the years, details have emerged that would suggest both had at least entertained the idea.
The Italians accused Sweden of doing the same again at the European Under-21 Championships last year. The Italian midfielder, Stefano Sturaro, memorably described the 1-1 draw between Sweden and Portugal at Italy’s expense as “dogs celebrate on corpses of lions, but lions remain lions and dogs stay dogs”.
Unquestionably, the Italians and Swedes have history and the satisfaction that Italy took in beating Sweden 1-0 is understandable.
Has the debt been paid?
Some Italian fans are suggesting that another biscotti, one that would see Ireland qualify and Sweden eliminated, would be most agreeable.
Every Italian we've met would be glad with Irish victory & mention the 2004 'biscotti' between Sweden and Denmark. pic.twitter.com/KeJeP77lIi
— Paddy McKenna (@PaddyMcKenna) June 21, 2016
And again, Andrea the Italian fan ambassador in Lille:
All that said, the fact remains that Sweden’s fate remains in their own hands. If they beat Belgium they will qualify, but Italian fans are still happy to see a scenario where Ireland qualify over Sweden.
So let’s all keep an eye out for those Italians standing up, sitting down and taking their (presumably very fashionable) shoes off for the Boys in Green in Stade Pierre Mauroy tomorrow.
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