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I'm back to watching an Inter match after a whole season in which I had seen none: in 44 years as a fan I do not remember how many times it happened, no more than 3-4. In the last two days I had many doubts I would, given the awful weather forecast, with an epoch-making storm at match time. The weather is still better than expected and, after an afternoon when the postponement is given for probable, around 5 pm they decide it will be played.
I sit down that the teams are already on the field and they are finishing announcing the lineups. After the formation of Lazio present a fan who won a contest as 12th man: they greet him with a vulgar way to say "who cares?" People keep coming even after the beginning. It starts, and I see that cheering is not a problem: around me they are all Inter fans. Inter attacks in the furthest half of the field, fro my position: I struggle to distinguish the players, I can hardly see the numbers. With the Lazio ones it goes even worse, the numbers are less visible. Often the images are also on the screen, but they are disorienting because they are shot from the Monte Mario stands, so from the perspective opposite to mine. They never show replays, not even for uncontroversial plays.
I'm back to watching an Inter match after a whole season in which I had seen none: in 44 years as a fan I do not remember how many times it happened, no more than 3-4. In the last two days I had many doubts I would, given the awful weather forecast, with an epoch-making storm at match time. The weather is still better than expected and, after an afternoon when the postponement is given for probable, around 5 pm they decide it will be played.
I leave office around 6 pm in a ghostly Rome: empty streets, bus and metro much emptier than usual, only the tram to the stadium is full. I arrive in front of the gates around 7 pm: given the advance I go to eat something in Ponte Milvio and return around 7.45. It's quite easy to enter: this time I am checked the documents only once the backpack twice. I notice that bathrooms and bars have improved. I just have time to enter that the expectd storm starts.
When I get to the stands, the South crve is empty, the Monte Mario stands almost, even in North curve there are many no-shows, only the guest sector is full. Before the match starts the North and a good part of the Tevere stands gets also filled. My seat is in Tevere, towards south, beyond the goal line. A friend of mine, a Lazio fan, suggested me this sector because there should be more Inter fans: after last year's result the mood is not as peaceful as the other times. I come down to meet with him and with a friend of his, whom I will later discover he is a member of parliament, then I return to my seat.
I suffer a bit the first half hour, with so many missed passes, then Inter makes a play that from my position I do not understand well, too good to be true, and marks. Shortly after a new storm breaks out: I wonder how one can make the ball go under a rain like that, but Brozovic succeeds very well, scoring 2-0 from outside.
At halftime I do not remotely think to move, between the bad weather and fatigue (I'm in the 44th row). Many will get back a good while after the start of the second half. In the second half we suffer, so I start to fear a remake of Inter-Turin. Then Icardi receives the ball in the area, and even if he has a man before him everyone gets it clear that it will be 3-0, and so it is. I hope to see Lautaro Martinez, but he does not enter. The Lazio curve shows a banner in memory of Vincenzo Paparelli: I remember when, in my father's car on the way back from the stadium, I heard the news of his death. It was a shock to discover that one could die at the stadium, even for those who were older than 11, as I was.
And I think that after four matches for someone Spalletti had to be fired, Icardi not worth Inter, Handanovic too old …
At halftime I do not remotely think to move, between the bad weather and fatigue (I'm in the 44th row). Many will get back a good while after the start of the second half. In the second half we suffer, so I start to fear a remake of Inter-Turin. Then Icardi receives the ball in the area, and even if he has a man before him everyone gets it clear that it will be 3-0, and so it is. I hope to see Lautaro Martinez, but he does not enter. The Lazio curve shows a banner in memory of Vincenzo Paparelli: I remember when, in my father's car on the way back from the stadium, I heard the news of his death. It was a shock to discover that one could die at the stadium, even for those who were older than 11, as I was.
Around 90th people start to go: I always have to get up to let them pass and am still standing at the final whistle. I go down and meet my friend. Victory across the board: the game has been played. I could cheer and the result was beyond all expectations, even on the level of the game.
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