Florence major, Dario Nardella, has just issued the official cancellation of the Calcio Storico final that was to be played on Tuesday, June 24th. The reasoning is that the tournament was already too highly compromised to have been valid, and tensions have been high all week so there was the fear that the match would not end well on Tuesday, which is supposed to be a day of celebration for all Florentines.
Rumors up until last night had that maybe a symbolic game would still be put on… but the question all week was who was going to play against the Reds of Santa Maria Novella. The problem, in fact, stems from several irregularities at last weekend’s semifinals: the match played on Sunday between the Reds and Greens was suspended after a player from the Green team refused to leave the playing field after being eliminated. It was until only a few days later that it was confirmed that a player from the White team, also eliminated from playing, didn’t leave the field either in Saturday’s game. So did the Whites have a right to play in the final?
Lots of tempers heating up all week, making the air of festivity that is supposed to mark the celebration on June 24th disappear. The condition that the major saw as indispensable if Calcio Storico is supposed to remain part of the day’s festivities. The major remarks he is highly disappointed to have had to make this decision but it was the only choice he had.
We hope that changes can be made to make sure the game remains a fun, local tradition for all – those participating as well as those watching.
About Lourdes Flores
An American living in Florence for over 10 years, Lourdes continues to explore and discover new places in Tuscany with the eyes of a tourist but with the experience of living in Italy. She shares her experiences on this blog and website, particularly offering lots of travel planning help on the Forum!
