It was Italy's night against the Germans, on and off the field.
Premier Mario Monti and striker Mario Balotelli gave a much-needed boost to a country suffering for months under harsh austerity measures and embarrassed by a match-fixing scandal in its national sport in which dozens have been arrested.
Then came Thursday. At an EU summit in Brussels, Monti, an economist by trade, led the charge against German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had been resisting ways of easing strains on indebted governments in southern Europe.
To the east in Warsaw, the talented soccer player with a discipline problem led Italy's national team to a 2-1 victory over Germany, propelling them into the finals of the European soccer championships. Balotelli's two goals were so breathtaking to watch — unstoppable, intimidating and elegant — that fans and critics alike were united in awe.
"They may be the bosses of Europe, but in soccer we command," headlined Italy's leading Corriere della Sera.
Read more: Italy celebrates a magical night against Germany - SFGate
No comments:
Post a Comment