Italy’s repechage to the World Cup, new controversy against anti journalist Jannik Sinner
Mauro Mazza is back to stir up discussion, but this time the cause is not Jannik Sinner but the possible repechage of the Italian national soccer team to the upcoming World Cup in place of Iran. The well-known journalist, a guest on TG4, expressed his opinion against the Azzurri’s participation in the rainbow review that will kick off in June.
“I would definitely say no, thank you, for three quick considerations. The first is that we were deservedly eliminated because we played bad matches, then to be readmitted in this way would smack of ‘botched Italian style’: let’s have others do these things.”
“The third reason is that Italian soccer needs to start from scratch, holy words those of CONI president Luciano Buonfiglio. I am convinced that the federcalcio, if it had already renewed the top management and chosen the new technical commissioner, would think so. Thanks for the thought, let’s stay at home and watch it on television,” Mazza sentenced, sparking a great debate on social networks.
In the past few days the well-known journalist had already created a stir with an article about Jannik Sinner in which he stated that the San Candido champion “is Italian in a manner of speaking, more an excellent citizen of the world than a son of a homeland. It is not because of that Austrian accent of his. Although he thinks in German, but he speaks perfect Italian. He tries hard, he tries hard, he has even learned (almost) all the words of Mameli’s Hymn.”
“We have to be honest. That red-haired tall man we admire, his triumphs warm our hearts (while he remains almost impassive) but we don’t love him. We cannot empathize for a number of reasons: because he is too close to technical perfection; he has a superhuman capacity for concentration; he is always controlled in his emotions and incapable of truly moving. In short, Jannik Sinner is too different from the average Italian – the way we are and the way we are portrayed – for the identification between fans/admirers and the champion who excels to naturally click.”
As was easily predictable, Mazza’s article sparked great controversy among Jannik Sinner’s fans and others, and there was no shortage of attacks (in some cases, even very harsh ones) that came to the journalist via social networks.
