Italy may have crashed out of the World Cup in the first round itself, but an Azzurri fan made his presence felt during the semifinal between Spain and Germany at Durban. Wearing a blue Superman T-shirt and wielding a red vuvuzela, Mario Ferri invaded the pitch from one corner when the match was four minutes old.
Two security men, clearly embarrassed by the Italian’s adventure, wrestled Ferri down near the half-way line after a hot chase. The invader was carried over the fence. It was a security scare the field marshals would have done well to avoid.
Ferri, it later emerged, wanted to make a statement about the exclusion of Antonio Cassano from Italy’s World Cup squad. The delay in the fan’s reaction and the reason why he chose a Spain-Germany match about an Italian issue remain a mystery. According to an Italian agency, “Peace in the World” was the slogan written on Ferri’s T-shirt.
Pitch invasions seem to be Ferri’s hobby. The Italian had crossed the boundaries during a friendly between Italy and The Netherlands last November. Inspired by Ferri, a shirtless German fan tried to sneak into the playing area a few minutes later. But he couldn’t emulate the Italian’s success as he was pinned down inside the 18-yard box. Both Ferri and his German disciple face charges at Durban’s World Cup special court.
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South African cricket team captain Graeme Smith told Deccan Chronicle at Durban airport that he never imagined his country would host such a successful World Cup. “It’s truly amazing. We have organised cricket and rugby World Cups but the football event is on a different scale. I’m proud that we have done well so far.” Smith said he couldn’t wait for the semifinal between Germany and Spain. “This is my first match in Durban. I’m excited. I'm supporting Germany because my girlfriend is rooting for Spain,” he laughed. The girlfriend won in the end, as she always does on all occasions.