Italian football back on a high

They are the football tourists and Italy attracts them in a way no other country does.

After falling upon hard times in recent seasons, Italian soccer is back in fashion and next week three of the four teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League will be from the peninsula.

All three -- Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan -- have huge fan bases across the globe and their stadiums have become 'must-see' tourist attractions for the new generation of soccer backpackers.

Like most tourists they are easily identifiable -- they wear replica team shirts that few Italians would be seen dead in and rather than roasted peppers they ask for ketchup and mustard on their toasted sandwiches.

They come from as far away as Japan and as nearby as Switzerland but they share a passion for what Italians proudly call "the most beautiful championship in the world".

Probably only the English league matches Serie A in terms of an overseas following but while it is nearly impossible for a visitor to get a ticket for a derby in London, the bigger stadiums and the black market ensure there is always a chance of getting into the big game in Italy.

It is estimated that up to 1,000 foreigners attend the big derby matches in Italy with as many as half of those coming from England.

Fans from Scandinavia, the Netherlands, Germany and Asia also make the pilgrimage to the home of 'calcio'.

Even among those fans less inclined to spend their disposable income on travelling hundreds of kilometres to sit in a soccer ground there is a huge interest in Italian football.

Only England's Premier League is seen on television regularly in more countries than Serie A and in major cities across the world it is by no means only Italian restaurants and bars that will pack in fans to watch Juventus take on Real Madrid on Tuesday or the Milan derby on Wednesday.

So what is it about Italian football that makes people travel across a continent to see a game?

"It is a combination of the big-name players playing in the top cities. It is something completely different for the average fan," says Paul Saxton of Fan Fare Events who run tours from England to Italian matches.

Saxton says a large number of those who travel to Italian games are supporters of lower division clubs.

"We are talking about Northampton Town or Port Vale fans who take the chance to go to the San Siro, they know they are never going to see their team play there," he said.

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But the majority of those who are attracted to Italian football are happy to follow their favourites via television.

Former Northern Ireland manager Bryan Hamilton, now working as a commentator for British Eurosport's coverage of Serie A, believes fans enjoy the coolness of the Italian game.

"It is about panache, a bit of style. Italian people dress with style and have a stylish manner and their football epitomises that," he says.

"There is real passion, just look at Perugia coach (Serse) Cosmi," he says referring to the almost manic coach, famed for his baseball cap and his animated behaviour during games.

"Then there is Roberto Mancini, the Lazio coach, he is such a smooth operator, his shirt collar is always pressed right, he always looks so composed yet he is very organised and committed. They do it with style," added Hamilton.

It was not until Arrigo Sacchi's AC Milan team in the late 1980s, enriched by some of the best attacking players in the world such as Dutchmen Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, that Italian teams were able to win while providing entertainment that was enjoyed globally.

The late 1990s saw something of a return to a more cautious approach but this time it did not bring results and it was former Italy coach Sacchi who led the calls for a more adventurous attitude.

Spanish football, with current European champions Real Madrid in the vanguard, was offering the flair and glamour the Italians once treasured.

This season however only Real have made it into the last four, prompting talk of an Italian renaissance.

While the results would suggest a revival is under way, Sacchi has demanded that more attention be paid to entertaining the fans.

"The aesthetic element, the satisfaction that one can gain from an entertaining sporting event, the emotions, can't just be related only to the result but the achievement of something else," he said.

His choice of words, almost poetic in comparison to the cliched mumblings of many English and northern European coaches, reveal the extent to which Italians agonise about the meaning of the game.

Yet another reason why so much of the world is in love with Italian football.