Circa Art Magazine - Magazine texts - Autumn 2001

To be fair, it was more of a party than a contest. Most people had come to celebrate with friends, enjoy the spectacle in the sunshine and get entertained.

To describe the game as a competitive match would be taking the piss, although there were four goals and for a half hour at least it looked like a game of football. Empoli arrived at the Venice lagoon for what technically only amounted to a friendly. With no incentive to either side, why spoil the party with a proper match after all? But professionals to the finish, when the team created an opportunity to score, the ball was put where it belongs - in the back of the net. Both teams that is. Respect to opponents Empoli who don't give away free gifts and as if to prove it Lacopino scored twice and the season ends at The Penzo without injuries and that's got to count for something. It was always Venice's destiny to end the game in glory.

There was room for everybody to get a run-out in a contest like this. Second half substitutions included the reserves, Maldonado and Cento, while Prandelli kept Bettarini on the bench. This was never going to be a game to tax either team's strategical or tactical nous. The purpose was to get to the end of 90 minutes. Get the job done. Having achieved their dream the week before, Venice played to party. By finishing second in the table Venice has avoided the play-offs and therefore three more matches in the Coppa Italia. Making further demands on the team to win this match would be like asking a pupil to do homework revision on the last day of school.

Where does one begin? For starters we have the streaking', an Anglo-Saxon tradition of running bollock naked. A young man, Maestrello, jumps the fence and sprints a lap with his kit off, and carefree around the ground. It causes neither scandal or indignation from the crowd. Everybody laughs and cheers loudly. When he makes his final perfect dive into the goal mouth at the home end an ovation is heard throughout the stadium as if he had stuck one in for the team during the match.

The anticipation is unbearable, people chant for the players. "About time, about time," sing The Pittura Freska at the tops of their voices. Skardy conducts the faithful chorus. Party, above all, par-tee. There is also the small matter of the match, but it is merely a formality because this time nothing will happen if Venice loses. Party, above all, party - choreography, colours, joy. Venice returns to Serie A. This is what we're all here for. We are the witnesses. But the height of the celebration is tinged with sadness. The joyful home end has not forgotten their absent friend. If he were here, "il Bae" would have been more euphoric than anyone. And Francesco, his wife is here, in the middle of them all, alive. His mother is here too, Mrs Romor. She hugs the fans and is reduced to tears as she acknowledges the call from the crowd for her daughter-in-law, Francesca. It's a difficult day for her, but she knows she will never be alone with friends and memories like these.

The joy continues. Flares explode into the sky. Coloured smoke fills the stadium. Orange, black, green - a magical sight. The teams enter the ground and the stadium erupts. Even the players want to celebrate, almost all of them are on the field with their children. There is Zamparini with his young son. The 'Lupo' holds hands with the 'Lupetti' who is the spitting image of his father. They all wear the Venezia shirt. One kid, 'Maniero Junior', encouraged by the crowd, dribbles the ball into the net and the home end explodes again. There is also the baby Bettarini; Giacomino opens his big eyes and waits for the beginning of the match before nodding off in the arms of his mother. A banner is held up to celebrate Luppi and Pedone for the last moments of their Venetian adventure. This was a match played on the terraces. You sing the
'O-le,ole ole ole', wave the Mexican wave and you never stop singing.

And then the whistle blows. Kick-off. Lacopino runs forty metres and puts one past Brivio, sending Venice behind by 0-1, but nobody thinks the day would be spoiled by that. When the referee, Bolognino, awards a penalty for a cynical chop on Bazzani, the home end calls for the goalkeeper Brivio to take it. He runs the full length of the pitch and places the ball on the spot. With a wry glance towards the bench, he slots the ball into the net. Come the hour, come the keeper. Venice must have the best attack in the B league - even the goalkeeper can score! Honours even at 1-1. "Who cares about Ronaldo, we have Brivio - goal!" and so they go on singing. A couple of minutes later Bazzani puts in a cross from Sotgia, making it 2-1 to the home team. Then Lacopino converts a vicious penalty, the ball flies by the post. Brivio makes a brave attempt to save it, but the ball has already crossed the line. Level at 2-2. And that's about it on the footie, the match has already delivered everything so now it's time to savour the moment of success. The pace slows down to a snail's and even when a goal by Maini is disallowed, there is no protest.

But the biggest spectacle is reserved for the beginning of the second half when fireworks produce a tricolour kaleidoscope which elevated the singing further with chants of, "We are going to Serie A." 16 minutes into the second half, Luppi leaves the field. This match marks a triumph for him, substituted by Prandelli, giving him his curtain call. The players give up the game to embrace him. Even the referee goes to see what's happening. Luppi bows out gracefully and the voice of the home crowd carries him on his way. He is hugged by the whole team. With pride, the captain closes his Venetian career with two Serie A promotions and a knife-edged finale to end the season. It's almost as good as winning the championship itself. Luppi is overcome with emotion as he leaves. The fans show their appreciation. The match carries on around his departure but his players are more interested in sharing the grand exit, and they accompany him to the tunnel for the last time. The captain joins the faithful on the terraces for the remainder of the match.

Seven minutes before the end of time the pitch at The Penzo is invaded by the fans. Maniero has just spat on it, but who cares? No longer able to contain their emotion they scramble for mementos of the occasion. They compete for shirts, a piece of Maldonado's sock, Marasco's sleeve. The referee, Bolognini, threatens to end the match there and then. The teams kill time by playing keep-ball until the final whistle goes. Thankfully, there is no time added for injury on a match that never began as a contest. The game is over. Venice has triumphed. Cesare Prandelli has triumphed, now almost suffocated under a gang hug. The ground refuses to go silent, the stands call for Simona Ventura and the fight for autographs begins.

The promotion to top flight football three years ago was more exciting and thrilling than this time you could say. True, but for a reason. Three years ago being in Serie A was a new thing for many of the fans. And even for the team promotion marked an entrance into a football world that they had only previously existed in in a dream. So this time re-entry should be enjoyed with caution and hopefully a lesson can be learned from past mistakes.

This victorious Venezia team was put together during the Summer of 2000 and revolutionised through the Winter. Some of the badly-chosen foreign players (does anybody remember Ahinful or Zeigbo?) were transferred and the Uruguayan wizard, Alvaro Recoba - who famously scored from a penalty which saved the team - was signed.

Today's celebration will not be the end of the road either. It's only the beginning. From this moment on Venice is a Serie A team and has to perform accordingly, in the transfer market, in the boardroom and at the bank. Being in Serie A is an honour for the whole city as well as for the supporters. True glory and respect comes with the responsibility to succeed both on and off the football pitch.

Venice has been the target of much ridicule. Its harshest critics have called it cold, indifferent to the game and ideologically caught between the desire to squeeze money out of Japanese tourists and the wish to cloister itself in a museum culture. But it is different from all other cities, singular in its uniqueness...

The team has now proved that Venice needs a new stadium. This is something the City Council can no longer ignore. A new stadium would bring Venice up to speed with a growing interest in the game today. It would also encourage investment and in time it would put more silverware into the Penza trophy cabinet.

Although attendances have been low, the fans are loyal and well-behaved. This year Venice supporters were first in the fight against racism. By tackling the issue head on, Venice demonstrated a degree of civility that was missing elsewhere in the Veneto region. Or in other parts of Italy too. This good work will have to spread throughout Serie A if the Italian fans - who have previously unleashed a torrent of racist behaviour, violence and wickedness - are to compete in Europe and meet that standards that are common practice elsewhere in football. This is a match that the Venetian public will have to win.

Article reproduced from CIRCA 97, Autumn 2001, pp.46-49.

This article is the first in the new series of Critic's Bursary articles. The Bursary is funded by the Arts Council/An Chomhairle Eala�on and the Arts Council of Northern Ireland.

Photographs courtesy of the Biennale di Venezia foreign press office and the Belgian Pavilion
Consultancy: Alessio Antoniolli (Italy)

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