A Football Celebration
On Sunday the football (soccer) Gods smiled on Genova. With a tie against Napoli Genova’s football team, Genoa, ensured itself a berth in the most prestigious Italian football division, Serie A. This was a BIG deal for Genova. When the game ended at 5pm blasting car horns announced to the city that Genoa had clinched the berth. The ensuing celebration lasted well into the night. Thousands of ecstatic fans decked in Genoa’s colors (red and navy) gathered in Piazza de Ferrari waving flags and sounding fog horns. The celebrating went on and on well into the night.
A lesson about Italian football
Why all the fuss about a tie football game and moving to the next division? Italian football is divided into three divisions, Serie A, Serie B and Serie C. Serie C is composed of the lowest ranked teams mostly from very small cities; Serie B has the mid-level teams; Serie A is the best of the best with all the superstar players and the most elite level of play. Playing in Serie A is a big deal. At the end of the season the three best teams in each division advance to the division above, while the three worst teams fall to the division below. Teams can also be demoted for scandals or misbehavior as recently happened to one of Torino’s teams, Juventus, aruguably the most popular Italian football team. With Sunday’s tie game, the numbers worked out for Genoa to advance to Serie A. (Coincidentally, the tie also allowed Napoli to advance to Serie A).
A lesson about Genovese football
Genova has two football teams: Genoa and Sampdoria. Genoa is the oldest football team in Italy, formed in 1893 by British fishermen. Genoa has been working its way back up to Serie A for the past 12 years, quite a long time for the Genoa faithful. Sampdoria has been around since 1946 when two smaller teams, Sampierdarena and Doria, were merged into one. Sampdoria has enjoyed a berth in Serie A for the past many years. Now that both teams are once again in Serie A together, there will be some great derby games in Genova!
So for now, Genova is on top of the football world!
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