Coppa Italia Returns on Ferragosto Holiday
Listen to the story
Today is Ferragosto, one of Italy's most important summer holidays. Despite the holiday, Italian football is making a comeback.
The Coppa Italia, Italy's main football cup competition, begins a new phase today with the round of 32. This is an early knockout stage of the tournament, where teams play single matches and losers are eliminated.
The Coppa Italia runs alongside Italy's league season and gives smaller clubs a chance to compete against bigger teams. Winning the cup can also give a club entry into European competitions.
Although the matches are starting today, few people seem to know about it. Ferragosto is traditionally a day when Italians relax at the beach or spend time with family, away from news and sport.
This year, however, football fans have a way to follow the action from home. The Coppa Italia matches are being broadcast on Mediaset channels, a major Italian television network.
Mediaset has rights to show the competition, meaning fans without tickets can still watch the games live on TV. This makes it easier for people staying home during the holiday period to follow the tournament.
The round of 32 marks an important step as the Coppa Italia builds toward its later rounds, semi-finals and eventual final later in the season. For now, though, most attention in Italy remains on the holiday itself rather than the football calendar.
Vocabulary10 words
- Ferragosto
- a major Italian holiday in mid-August
- Coppa Italia
- Italy's national football cup competition
- round of 32
- a stage where 32 teams remain in a competition
- knockout stage
- a part of a competition where losing means going out
- broadcast
- to show something on TV
- Mediaset
- a large Italian television company
- rights
- legal permission to show something, like a TV show
- eliminated
- removed from a competition after losing
- semi-finals
- the stage just before the final of a competition
- clubs
- sports teams, especially football teams
Quiz
Answer key
1. Because it is the Ferragosto holiday 2. The round of 32 3. Mediaset
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Today is _____, one of Italy's most important summer holidays. Despite the holiday, Italian football is making a comeback.
The Coppa Italia begins a new phase today with the _____. This is an early _____ of the tournament.
The Coppa Italia gives smaller _____ a chance to compete against bigger teams.
Although the matches are starting today, few people seem to know about it, because _____ is traditionally a relaxing holiday.
This year, football fans have a way to follow the action from home, thanks to _____ broadcasting the matches.
Mediaset has _____ to show the competition, so fans can watch the games live on TV.