It will be indeed. Though I wonder why is that? Where does the rivalry come from?
They met only twice at world cups and never in a knock-out round. Only twice in EUROs, and only one of them a knock-out quarter-final match (in 2012). It doesn't come even close to Argentina-Brazil, Italy-Germany, Italy-France, Argentina-Germany, or even England-Germany.
Club-wise, in the CL, Italian and English teams played only 4 finals (all of them included Liverpool) which is nothing compared to Italy-Spain CL finals (8), or England-Germany (6), even England-Spain (5).
So why are they such rivals? Did it start at Heysel, or maybe in the late 90s when the EPL was trying to become better than Serie A?
They met only twice at world cups and never in a knock-out round. Only twice in EUROs, and only one of them a knock-out quarter-final match (in 2012). It doesn't come even close to Argentina-Brazil, Italy-Germany, Italy-France, Argentina-Germany, or even England-Germany.
Club-wise, in the CL, Italian and English teams played only 4 finals (all of them included Liverpool) which is nothing compared to Italy-Spain CL finals (8), or England-Germany (6), even England-Spain (5).
So why are they such rivals? Did it start at Heysel, or maybe in the late 90s when the EPL was trying to become better than Serie A?
Italians themselves don't really worry about England. They're a team like any other for them. Sort of like playing against Belgium or Romania. There is a much deeper rivalry with France and Germany.
I think fans of Italian football abroad detest the English, because they have commercialized football to the extreme and by doing so have taken away much of the attention on Italian football.
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Why not the same rivalry with Spain, tho?
There is probably a starting point to this rivalry, but I think it also has to do with jealousy. In the way that the English are aware that they don't have Pele, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, so they say "fuck it, these guys are superior". Spanish football is too different from English, and there can be no comparisons. But Italy are nothing special at first glance. No Pele, no Messi, no tiki-taka. Yet they win a lot and England doesn't. You know that feeling when someone who you think is not better than you gets everything and you get nothing. And why do they get everything? Because they cheat and they play unfairly. Then you repeat this year after year. The Italians defend themselves and there is your rivalry.
There is probably a starting point to this rivalry, but I think it also has to do with jealousy. In the way that the English are aware that they don't have Pele, Maradona, Messi, Ronaldo, so they say "fuck it, these guys are superior". Spanish football is too different from English, and there can be no comparisons. But Italy are nothing special at first glance. No Pele, no Messi, no tiki-taka. Yet they win a lot and England doesn't. You know that feeling when someone who you think is not better than you gets everything and you get nothing. And why do they get everything? Because they cheat and they play unfairly. Then you repeat this year after year. The Italians defend themselves and there is your rivalry.
