Sports & Entertainment - Soccer
More than 40 young tifosi, as devout supporters of Italian football clubs are called, dyed a football-café in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 10 blue last night as they flocked to cheer Italy’s national team during their Euro 2012 opening match against reigning champions Spain in Gdansk, Poland.

A tifosi reacts when Spain balanced the game between their side and Italy at Euro Group C opening match Sunday, Photo: tuoi tre
“To us, everything is blue,” said Ngoc Mai, head of the cheering group.
Mai said her group was initially formed on Facebook, and attracts participation from fans of football clubs such as Juventus, AC Milan, and Lazio, to name a few.
Though established in 2006, this is the first time they gathered and watched and cheered the Euro with such a large amount of people and organization, Mai said.
The group’s fan page on Facebook now possesses more than 1,000 likes, and their meetings consistently receive around 50 members.
Their most memorable gathering was last January, when they welcomed the Italian player Cannavaro during his visit to the country.
Back to the match, while analysts and experts mostly spoke highly of Spain’s chances against Italy, Mai and the other tifosi said they strongly believe that their beloved team would win the match, they said before it started late on June 10.
The supporters then shouted as if they would break the café with cheering when the Italian players took the lead.
Although Spain later drew the game, the young tifosi said their faith has never changed.
“Italy will be the champions,” they said in chorus.
Source: tuoi tre














