Italy vs. France: Pistocchi Disgusted by What Happened Before the Game: “We All Need to Apologize”
There were some awkward moments just minutes before kickoff of the Nations League match between Italy and France at San Siro. During the national anthems, “La Marseillaise” was drowned out by boos from part of the crowd at the Meazza: a disgraceful display that drew reactions from players and officials.
The first to react were the Azzurri players themselves, who began applauding throughout the French anthem. During the broadcast, commentator Alberto Rimedio strongly condemned the incident, calling the Italian fans’ behavior “cloying” and “despicable.” Many spectators at San Siro distanced themselves from the incident by applauding the French anthem, and several media outlets condemned the episode, as did many social media users.
On X, journalist Maurizio Pistocchi was among the harshest critics: “There are many things that often make me feel ashamed, but the crowd booing the opponents’ national anthem—and what an anthem, the #Marseillaise, a revolutionary song, a hymn to freedom—is uncivilized, barbaric, and inconceivable. For this, we must ALL apologize and be ashamed.”
On the field, however, the evening went well for the Azzurri. Zidane’s France had taken the lead in the 10th minute through Olise, capitalizing on a build-up error by Donnarumma, but Italy responded, and in the 26th minute, Pio Esposito equalized, beating Upamecano to a cross from Cambiaghi. In the second half, Frattesi scored the go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute with a first-time shot off a cross from Dimarco, who had just come on, and in the 74th minute, Pio Esposito himself sealed the victory with a penalty kick—awarded for a foul by Upamecano on Vergara—bringing his total to nine goals in 14 appearances for the Azzurri. In between, in the 57th minute, Sebastiano Esposito had missed another penalty, awarded for a foul by Gusto on Cambiaghi.
The victory at San Siro propelled the Azzurri to the top of League A Group 1, tied with the Galletti at 10 points but ahead on head-to-head record. Belgium is second with nine points, while Turkey remains at zero. To qualify for the Nations League quarterfinals, Italy simply needs to avoid defeat in Brussels next Sunday against Belgium: a draw would take the Azzurri to 11 points, while a win would guarantee them first place in the group, regardless of France’s result.
