When in Florence, do as the Florentines…. instead of spending the day standing in long lineups for museums and finding my way through crowds of thousands of people, I did something quite different….I had the opportunity to attend the final match of the Tuscany Cup Championship (calcio/football/soccer) between teams “Cartagine 1959” and “Casellina.” The game was held in Montelupo outside of Florence, Italy, on May 17, 2014.
But… I wasn’t simply a spectator at the game; I was the special guest of Cartagine59’s coach, Mossi Bakshi, and I was the “guest photographer.” I was outside the locker room and on the field with the players! What a great way to experience the true energy of the game!
My friend, Mossi Bakshi, is the coach of Cartagine59, a Florence-based team in the 3rd category. This was a pivotal game for him and his team, as it brought them from the 3rd category to the 2nd category. In only one year under Bakshi’s coaching, Cartagine59 went from 9th place in the 3rd category to 1st place,winning the Tuscany Cup Championship – this was quite the victory win!!
Victory for Cartagine59 Italian Football Team
Tanti auguri Cartagine59!! Grazie mille!
(PS- If you’d like to leave a comment, scroll down below. I’d love to hear from you!)
Tawna Brown
Great pictures! I love that you are taking a different route from the usual touristy things!
Grazie Vicki. This wouldn’t have been possible without being friends with the coach, but I’m glad I adjusted my schedule a bit so I could be there for the game. This time in Florence, I didn’t go to any museums or galleries, or have a map or any list of things to do. I just wandered around…One day I stumbled across a table selling tickets for an orchestral concert that evening…so I bought a ticket and went to my 1st orchestral concert in an old auditorium/church! You never know what you’re going to find when you’re open to possibilities. More posts to come in the future:)
Wonderful coverage Tawna, and thrilling for you to be included in such an intense and emotional sport, particularly given the World Cup this year!!
Well done!!
Grazie Arthur! Glad you enjoyed! I am not so in tune with the rules of the game, but it sure was quite the experience to be with the players on the field! It was good practice for me too, using AI Servo…I still have to work on this… Ciao!