Day 15 of a 22 Day Adventure in Italy
Our guests checked out in the morning and headed off to the Milan airport in their private chauffeured luxury bus. This meant that after two weeks of being switched on and in charge, I finally got to turn off my event engine!
What would I do to relax? Go to a futbol match between Genoa vs. some team from Spain of course. It was the first match of the coming season for the hometown team and was called a friendly. My new business partner Matteo wanted me to experience it.
The evening started innocently enough with a beer at a pub - well, more like a walk-up window in an alley. Amongst the hard core local fans, we enjoyed a cold one while absorbing the energetic participation of Genoa’s true fan base.
We then entered what has to be the oldest stadium I’ve ever set foot into. Instantly I realized I was going to experience a once in a lifetime event. To say that the Genoa fans are hard-core is to make light of the term hard-core. I’ve never seen a more passionate fan base for any team anywhere ever.
For starters, 90% of the fans were all gathered in one spot behind the goal. In American football, we would refer to this as the endzone seats.
One of the first things I noticed was that all the seatbacks had been broken off. All that was left were the broken off seat bottoms sitting on concrete slabs.
The second thing I noticed is that everyone was standing and nobody was sitting. It was clear that sitting, or not standing on a broken plastic seat, would be considered an insult and a sign of weakness.
About 75% of the fans had a beer in their hands and about 50% we’re smoking a cigarette. I felt like I was in the largest ruckus pub I’ve ever been to.
And the third thing I noticed, was that the Genoa fans really like to sing?
For the next three hours, three things happened:
One, there was a soccer match that ended in a 1-0 loss for the home team.
Two, the Genoa fanbase performed a nonstop three hour concert. I wish I could tell you what the songs were about, but I don’t understand Italian. What I could understand was the passion behind them. Truly something to behold.
Three, I was able to eliminate the need for a leg workout this week. Turns out that standing, without ever sitting, for three hours is more than enough strength training for my legs this week! 😎
Some of the more curious things about the stadium is that it sits right next-door to an active prison. You can actually see prisoners through some of the barred windows, checking out the scene.
And, when I walked the concourse, I started to notice how most of those prisoners must have made it into the prison. There was enough dried blood on the concrete concourse floors for 100 crime scene scenes. The curious part was that this was the first game of the season, so what season each crime occurred I’m not certain.
This was definitely an experience I will never forget. I managed not to get into any fist fights. I enhaled enough second hand smoke to last me a lifetime. I was proud of the fact that I could stand in place for three straight hours. Thanks Titus Jean. Consuming copious amounts of beer helped with the last two.
Definitely not the way to relax after a week of running a retreat, but I did go home with a full heart having witnessed passion at a level I’ve never seen before.
Based on their performance on the pitch, it is going be a long season for the Genoa soccer team, but something tells me that will not be a problem for this fan base as it’s not about what’s happening on the pitch. It’s clearly about how much you can love your team with all your heart. Consider me a fan! Go Genoa!
Ciao!
