FIFA - The recent jaunt by the Squadra Azzurra Futsal squad to
Iran certainly raised a few eyebrows -not only because of the
proximity to politically explosive Iraq, but also due to the obvious
cultural upheaval inherent in such a trip.
All such fears quickly proved unfounded, however, when the
Azzurri arrived at Mehrab airport in Tehran to a warm welcome from a
sizeable crowd. Despite their late arrival, as the fans crowded
round the Futsal pioneers it was as though Totti, Del Piero and
Nesta had just stepped off the plane, rather than Grana, Franzoi,
Zaffiro and their team-mates. The Italian indoor team may be
relative unknowns in Europe but they are big names in Iran, and in
the face of such a friendly reception, coach Alessandro Nuccorini’s
team soon warmed to their exciting footballing adventure.
Besieged
Futsal is hugely popular in Iran. The national Futsal side, coached
by Mohammad Hassan Ansarifar, are current Asian champions, and the
local fans were clearly excited at the prospect of seeing their side
take on the Squadra - a fact made even more apparent the following
morning when the Italians opened their windows at the Olympic Hotel
only to find a huge gathering of reporters and fans waiting for
them. Such massive interest proved to be a foretaste for the rest of
the four-day trip, as the Squadra were literally besieged everywhere
they went.
The tour included two friendly internationals against the Iranian
national team at the Azadi sport complex. The first, held in front
of 8,000 fans and broadcast live on Iranian TV, ended in a 3-3 draw,
while the second, played the next evening, also ended level, this
time 5-5. Incredibly, some 15,000 fans attended the second match,
which turned out to be a fantastic game of end-to-end Futsal.
Such a huge crowd turning out for a friendly indoor international
begs the question: could Futsal be coming of age as a major
spectator sport? The Italian players certainly think so after being
solicited for autographs and photos every time they left their hotel
or got off the team bus.
On the up
Futsal is unquestionably on the up. It is a high-energy game
providing spectacular entertainment from the first whistle to the
last, and Italy’s two friendlies in Iran have gone some way to
proving that this lesser known sport has enormous potential for
growth.
Upon his return to Italy, Nuccorini was effusive in his praise
for the welcome his side received in Iran: "I’ve been everywhere
with this team: South America, Asia, Africa, all over Europe. But
I’ve never known a reception like that. For the first time I saw
what passion our sport could foster and on what a huge scale. It was
a great feeling for someone like me who has worked so hard for so
long to see Futsal grow as a sport.”
The Azzurri returned home happy. They may not have won any
matches, but they were stunned by the support for their sport.
Nuccorini and his players also formed strong ties of friendship
within the IR Iran Football Federation and therein lies the tour’s
biggest achievement: it proved that Futsal is capable of bringing
two very different cultures together, a sport able to transcend
religion and tradition. In fact, if the trip were to be summed up in
one sentence it would be: two superb drawn games and a magnificent
victory for the game of Futsal!
