More Than Soccer Riding on World Cup Final
July 9, 2006
A pair of soccer-obsessed nations, France and Italy could both use a World Cup title to help improve the national mood and get over their own home-grown problems.
The pervasive gloom that dominated the French economy and political landscape was replaced by an optimism that goes beyond simple sporting fandom when Zinedine Zidane escorted les Bleus into the World Cup final.
The muted economy has received a fillip, politicians have jumped on the bandwagon, the humiliating loss of the 2012 Olympics to London has been shrugged off, and the despair created by race-fuelled riots last November has been replaced by the inspiring image of the ethnically mixed soccer team.
"It's a good way to revitalize a society, to erase what has gone before," Jean-Michel Faure, a sociologist specialized in sport's effects, told AFP news agency.
Italy's hunt for honest players
For their part, the Italians are hoping the World Cup will erase, or at least ease the pain of a deep-seated match-fixing scandal that rocked the foundation of their top soccer league, the Serie A.
Twenty five individuals, including club directors, referees and high-ranked Italian football federation officials, are suspected of influencing the outcome of matches in the 2004/05 season.
At an Italian football federation tribunal in Rome this week, prosecutor Stefano Palazzi requested Juventus be dropped to the third division and that AC Milan, Lazio and Fiorentina be relegated to the second division -- 13 of Italy's 23 national team players play for one of the four clubs.
Paolo Trofino, a lawyer representing a former Juventus official, said the national team's advancement in the World Cup should be seen as a positive signal for Italian soccer. The Italian justice minister on Friday revived suggestions of an amnesty for players on national team for the sake of the fans.
Long respected as one of the world's top soccer nations, the Italian team came to Germany hoping a good showing would prove to their fans and the world that Italian soccer does not deserve to have its reputation tarnished by corruption, and that the Italian league -- home to all the Azzurri players -- produces more top-quality players than cheats.
World Cup loss hides other dangers
A win may temporarily push each country's woes to the back burner. But World Cup fever may subside quickly, bringing back the same nagging doubts that troubled fans before the tournament. A loss can lead to even harsher consequences by giving a bruising blow to the self-esteem rediscovered after a win in the semi-finals and could reopen festering wounds.
"The French are united in joy, but divided in discontent," said Barbara Harfouche, a customer in one of many Paris cafes where conversation was dominated by the national team's performance. "Even if France is world champion Sunday, the problems of French society are recurrent, and if we don't treat them, they can create new catastrophes."