Jannik Sinner becomes the most liked meme
The great disappointment of Italian soccer fans, with the national team failing for the third time in a row to achieve the goal of qualifying for the final phase of the World Cup, was also manifested with the great sense of irony, typical of our people. It could not miss someone calling into question Jannik Sinner, the most in vogue sportsman of our house at the moment (although with their splendid successes he is being undermined by Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes driver, and Marco Bezzecchi, Aprilia centaur): and here is circulating a footballer’s version of the South Tyrolean ace, obviously complete with a blue uniform.
The contrast between the failure of soccer and the triumphs of other Italian sports is, after all, there for all to see, and the television numbers mercilessly confirm it. Sunday, March 29, gave Italians a memorable day of sports: Kimi Antonelli’s second consecutive Formula 1 victory in Japan, Marco Bezzecchi’s fifth MotoGP win in a row in Austin, and Jannik Sinner’s triumph in the final of the Miami Masters 1000 kept millions of fans glued to the screen, with record ratings on Sky Sport. Three Italian champions, three different disciplines, one single denominator: victory.
It was precisely this scenario that made the statements of FIGC president Gabriele Gravina even more explosive, who after the Azzurri’s defeat on penalty kicks against Bosnia and Herzegovina tried to downplay the successes of other Italian sports with words destined to cause discussion: “Football is a professional sport, the others are amateur, we make reports on the basis of fairness.” A phrase that unleashed a wave of outrage on social media, with thousands of posts defending champions such as Sinner, Antonelli, Sofia Goggia, Federica Brignone, Jasmine Paolini and volleyball champions. “Avercene di dilettanti like Sinner, Antonelli, Goggia,” is one of the most shared comments on the web.
The harshest response came from boxer Irma Testa, bronze medalist at the Tokyo Olympics, who replied in no uncertain terms through social: “The real professionals are us, we compete and win for the jersey and for our country watching millionaire footballers make bad figures. I train more than a player earning less than their cooks or nannies.” Words that have found widespread resonance and summarize the widespread sentiment in the world of Italian sports.
In the meantime, as the FIGC prepares for an extraordinary Federal Council meeting to come to terms with yet another debacle, Assoutenti has also decided to take the field by launching a public consultation aimed at citizens, with a direct question: “Can the top management of the current Federal Council and the President of the FIGC still play their role?” The association also proposes reducing millionaire salaries in professional soccer to allocate more resources to soccer schools and oratories. “We don’t see children in the streets playing soccer anymore,” said Assoutenti national president Gabriele Melluso, touching a nerve that goes far beyond sports results.
And while Italian soccer questions its future, Sinner continues to grind out records. The South Tyrolean completed the so-called “Sunshine Double,” winning the Indian Wells and Miami Masters 1000s without losing a single set, for a total of 34 consecutive sets won in Masters 1000s. As former U.S. tennis player Steve Johnson commented, “One cannot underestimate his dominance in the last month. It is absolutely unbelievable the level he has been able to reach.” Sinner’s next goal is the top of the world rankings, with a real possibility of overtaking Carlos Alcaraz as early as Monte Carlo, and then Roland Garros, where he will also participate in the doubles tournament paired with Nick Kyrgios, looking for his first major victory on clay.
