The love for the Italian national team knows no boundaries

You do not stop being Italian even if you live on the other side of the planet. That is the message of the new adidas campaign on the occasion of the Women's World Cup, which has just started in Australia and New Zealand. Even thousands of kilometres away, the blue of the national team's jerseys makes the heart beat faster and keeps identity and tradition alive. This is demonstrated by the four stories chosen by the new sponsor of the Italian national team to show that the love for our country does not diminish with increasing distance. Madeleine Lombardi, for example, a journalist, DJ and amateur footballer, describes the role of her family: 'My grandparents gave me their culture, rooted in time, with traditions that have also struggled with me and settled into what is now my culture. This understanding has allowed me to appreciate the strength and diversity of the family".

Tania Nicolo, who was born in Perth to Abruzzese parents, recalls how the food and Sunday dinners of her childhood led her to open a restaurant dedicated to her grandmother's character: "Through her, I developed a passion for Italian cuisine and hospitality, because she was always entertaining and feeding people." Food and football are a very strong link to Italy, a bridge that spans the globe and keeps traditions alive, as model and footballer Diana Coniglio explains. "I love cooking pasta with my grandmother for our ever-growing family. Sport is also an important part of my life. I played football for part of my childhood and then took up athletics, representing Western Australia several times."

Former Lazio footballer Ella Mastrantonio also chose her profession because of the passion passed on by her family. "Her father's love of football was passed down from his parents, my grandmother and grandfather, who had emigrated to Fremantle from Sicily. I have fond memories of going to my grandmother's house and always watching football on Rai's international channel, which was broadcast via satellite. I used to watch Del Piero on TV and always wanted to be like him." And that dream took her all over the world to follow her two loves: football and Italy. "I am incredibly proud of my Italian heritage. It makes me proud to have lived and played in Italy and to feel at home on the other side of the world."