Little Italy falls silent as four-time champions miss third consecutive World Cup
On the streets of the famous New York neighborhood that boiled over after the 2006 title, there is hardly any sign of the ‘azzurra’
When Italy won its fourth World Cup in Germany in 2006, Little Italy erupted. The neighborhood’s main artery, Mulberry Street, delivered one of the most talked-about sports celebrations the city remembers. “People went crazy, they celebrated until dawn. The restaurants, food stands, and shops sold out. The street was full of Italian flags,” recalls Anthony Ricci, owner of Benito One, one of the few restaurants still run by Italians in New York’s Little Italy. There are also not many waiters who speak Italian despite the many hospitality businesses that keep the trans-alpine appeal on their signs. Albanians, because of geographic proximity, do speak the language and seat patrons while holding the menu. The area once settled by the first Italian migrants — mostly Neapolitans and Sicilians — who arrived in the late 19th century to make the American dream reality, has also shrunk, swallowed by a growing Chinatown.
Twenty years after that last title, Little Italy is no longer as genuine and the Italian national team cannot hope to win a fifth World Cup. Had they qualified, they would have opened on Friday in Toronto against host nation Canada and Mulberry Street would have been a boil of activity dyed in the colors of the Italian flag. But Bosnia and Herzegovina prevented Italy’s return to the World Cup in the playoff, keeping them out after a 12-year absence. For a third consecutive time the four-time champions have failed to qualify for the finals, and the bare brick facades and souvenir stalls confirm it. One stall is offering six jerseys — United States, Portugal, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, and France. But there is no sign of Italy’s famous azzurra home shirt. At a neighboring stall, on the lower side, you can at least buy a child’s shirt. “Life has changed; there are few families left here. Generations have moved away, they sold or rented their apartments. There used to be fresh fruit stalls, many bakeries, and authentic pizzerias my grandmother would send me to buy from. Now you can only buy Italian products at a typical shop just around the corner, Di Palo, but I was born, live, and will die on Mulberry Street,” Ricci says with conviction; his employees call him Ruco. His surname, his nickname, and his bright, well-kept light-blue leather shoes may be among the few visible and authentic Italian traces left.
“Little Italy always attracts tourists; it’s a high-traffic area and the World Cup is a big deal. Most restaurants and sports bars have screens and there will surely be atmosphere on match days, although not as much as if Italy were playing,” Ruco predicts.
Italy’s absence from a World Cup is always a drama for the country, but also for the competition itself. It’s impossible not to miss their status as perennial contenders, even if that recognition rested largely on the weight of their shirt and their history. Even more so when their triumphs — like the 1982 World Cup or the victory in 2006 — came when they were not favorites. Italy left everything on the pitch defending and hit on the counter. A world-class goalkeeper (Dino Zoff), an impenetrable defense (marshalled by Franco Baresi), a playmaking midfielder (Giancarlo Antognoni), a sublime number 10 (Roberto Baggio) and a striker (Paoli Rossi) formed the backbone of their most classic model over time. In a last-minute move they could win a match after having been dominated for the whole game.
Only memories remain of that. For FIFA as World Cup organizer, Italy’s absence is a blow given what the country represents and the large number of Italians spread across the world. A few hundred of them living in New York gathered on June 8 at the modest Rocco Commisso Stadium to attend a match of Italian legends against Major League Soccer (MLS) legends that featured Gianni Infantino. Swiss by birth but with strong Italian roots, the FIFA president dedicated his speech to the tifosi in the stands. “I fully understand the feelings of Italians abroad, the disappointment of not being at the World Cup. I told myself we had to do something for our communities, and here we are,” Infantino said, adding to the audience: “But I also saw another equally extraordinary source of pride: all of you. Italians in the United States and around the world who, every day, represent our country in the best way with your work, your achievements, your sacrifice, and your dedication.” Baggio, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Marco Materazzi, Christian Vieri, Gianluca Pagliuca and Christian Panucci listened to Infantino in silence. They are the only trace of Italian football’s greatness at this World Cup.
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