Before last night’s Champions League quarter-final second legs, the question on everyone’s lips was whether Manchester City could overturn a three-goal deficit against Liverpool.
No one was even considering the possibility that Roma might do the same in the night’s other game.
After all, the Italian side – currently 21 points off the pace in Serie A – were up against a Barcelona team unbeaten in La Liga and the Champions League before last night.
The Catalan club won the first leg 4-1 and hadn’t lost a game by three or more goals in almost exactly a year. And yet Roma did the unthinkable, with strikes from Edin Džeko, Daniele de Rossi and Kostas Manolas seeing the underdogs go through on away goals.
BT Sport commentator Peter Drury got pretty excited, going big on the ancient Greek and Roman metaphors, but his response was nothing compared to Italian commentator Carlo Zampa.
Zampa, born in Rome has form for getting excited when his hometown team finds the net. However, few goals are as dramatic and as surprising as the Manolas winner, so it’s no surprise to hear the commentator give the header its due.
If you were to create a cliché of Italian commentary for a goal as momentous as this, you may well end up with Zampa’s response.
Screams of the player’s name on its own? Check.
Saying “Mamma Mia” over and over? Check
Screams so high-pitched they’re verging on the call of a bird of prey? You better believe that’s a check.
Roma might have lost some of the local spirit when one-club man Francesco Totti retired at the end of last season, but regardless of the personnel, the passion will never disappear.
(Images: Getty)
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