The Brazil World Cup might be just two days old, but Malta’s exceptional Anglo-Italian football rivalry will reach fever pitch tonight when Italy and England clash in their first match.
Although the match will not dictate any of the two teams’ fate, for thousands of Maltese it is the most important match of the month-long tournament.
The Maltese will be glued to their TV screens as Italy and England kick off in Manaus at the ungodly hour of midnight.
It is a rematch of the Euro 2012 quarter-finals in Ukraine two years ago which the Azzurri had won on penalties. But it has been 24 years since the two teams met in the World Cup, when Italy beat England to take third place.
Bars, restaurants and so-called World Cup villages are all set for this evening’s tie, with many establishments yesterday saying they will be fully-booked.
When contacted, one restaurant owner sounded flustered because his projector went dead in the dying minutes of the Brazil v Croatia match and was now in a race against time to replace it for tonight’s big clash.
The Maltese traffic police are all set for the night, with sources saying extra officers will be positioned in strategic locations to ease the traffic flow and assist should there be any scuffles.
It may also be a rough night for the neutrals who might have to endure the traditional car honking at 2am after the final whistle.
Spinola Bay in St Julian’s as well as the entire Sliema promenade is known to come to a standstill on such occasions.
One of the most popular venues for football matches of this stature is Ryan’s Pub in St Julian’s.
André Mifsud and Robert Agius, who run the pub, told Times of Malta they have been preparing for the World Cup for months.
They doubled the number of large screens and increased seating and standing areas and linked the entire sound system to the commentary.
There will be an outdoor bar set-up to make it easier for football fans to grab the pint during the match.
On the other hand, Michael Stivala, the manager of Black Gold pub on The Strand, has doubts on the turnout due to the late kick-off time.
“We have no bookings yet, so it’s a big question mark.
“We’ve prepared for it but we do not know what it’s going to be like.
“But being a hot game and since it’s on the eve of a holiday, I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” he said.
Italian supporter Anthony Pisani said he planned to order sushi take-away to watch the match at home with 20 friends.
“I hope I won’t get into trouble with my neighbours,” he said.
England supporter Stephen Abela said he was planning on going to the Manoel Island World Cup village to watch the match as none of his friends supported England.