Italy-Brazil Will Go Ahead

The friendly match between Italy and Brazil in London on February 10 will go ahead as planned, despite fears it may be called off for political reasons... There had been serious concerns earlier today that the prestigious friendly clash between Italy and Brazil at the Emirates Stadium on February 10 may be cancelled due to a political crisis between the two governments. The Italian Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Alfredo Mantica, had called for the game to be scrapped because Brazil did not want to extradite an Italian terrorist, Cesare Battisti, who has been convicted to four life sentences and is currently seeking political asylum in the South American country. Mantica had threatened to take his request to the Italian FA, but it seems that the mess has now been cleared up, and the game will indeed go ahead as planned. Rocco Crimi, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Council stated: "The friendly between Italy and Brazil will be played as planned. "The government has never questioned the status of the football match. Political and diplomatic incidents, no matter how meaningful or relevant, should not jeopardize the holding of sporting events." Tens of thousands of fans, who have already paid for their tickets, will now breathe a collective sigh of relief, following this announcement.