Paper-mâché sculptures depict fantasy-film heroines, Gothic-novel villains, politicians, pop stars, Greek gods, gorgons, artists, royals and Jurassic-period dinosaurs. Allegorical, satirical floats have, indeed, carried caricatures of Snow White, Frankenstein, Donald Trump, John Lennon, Zeus, Medusa, Frida Kahlo, Queen Elizabeth II and Tyrannosaurus rex through Viareggio’s streets.
The Carnevale di Viareggio is every bit as precious as the Carrara extracted from the marble quarries in the Apuan Alps above. It seduced 600,000 people – most in elaborate costumes – to a city inhabited by only 62,000 in February 2024.
One of the planet’s biggest carnivals outside Brazil nevertheless took a temporary backseat to another entertainment event. Italy, over 6,000 kilometres away in Dubai, had reached the knockout phase of the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup™. Six of Emiliano Del Duca’s 12 soldiers – Luca Bertacca, Andrea Carpita, Leandro Casapieri, Tommaso Fazzini, Gianmarco Genovali and Alessandro Remedi – were born or lived in Viareggio.
Carnival organisers got together with the city’s mayor and sport councilor and erected a giant TV screen in the square for fans to watch Italy’s games. Masses vibrantly cheered them on to a 5-2 win over Tahiti in the quarter-finals and a penalty-shootout defeat of Belarus in the semis, before going to watch the parades. The Azzurri came up just short in the decider, losing 6-4 to an exceptional Brazil team after Casapieri had been sent off, but they had done Viareggio and Italy proud.
Central to that success was Bertacca. The indefatigable, imaginative gladiator chats to FIFA about that campaign and why they have only one target at Seychelles 2025: the trophy.
FIFA: Let’s start by talking about UAE 2024 Dubai. How nervous were you taking the first penalty in the semi-finals against Belarus?
Luca Bertacca: Nervousness is not a part of me. No, no. I didn’t get nervous at that moment. Yes, it’s a World Cup, there’s so much at stake, but I’m a beach soccer player, I love playing beach soccer, I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to take a penalty in the World Cup. I took it, I scored, and it’s a beautiful memory because we won and got to the final.
What did you think of the final against Brazil?
Even though we lost, the final is another good memory. We played a good match against a very big team. Brazil have a lot of great players and champions like Rodrigo, Mauricinho, Catarino. We were a young team and, for a lot of us, it was our first World Cup. We gave them a really tough game, and Brazil gave us a result we can try and reverse this year. It’s a game I’m happy to remember.
What was the experience like of being at a World Cup?
It’s like being in a new world. It was an incredible experience. We’d played in the qualifiers, in the Euro Beach Soccer League, but the World Cup is something special. The stadium, walking out to play, the teams you play against, the atmospheres… it’s all so beautiful. You live a dream being at the World Cup and you don’t want it to end.
I’m sure you saw the videos of everyone watching Italy’s games in Viareggio…
It was beautiful, beautiful! In Viareggio, we are famous for our carnival. People come from all over for it. They put a big screen in the square. Everyone was watching it, very excited, cheering us on. It was very special for me, Genovali, Fazzini, the players from Viareggio.
Qualifying for the World Cup is so, so tough in Europe. After losing your opener to Denmark, how did it feel to beat two very good sides and qualify for Seychelles 2025?
The group stage in Cadiz was really difficult. We knew it was going to be really difficult when we saw our three opponents. We lost the first match, we were under pressure, but that’s when you see the real Italy. In difficult moments, we find strength in unity. We all fight for each other. We had two very difficult games we needed to win, and that’s what we managed to do to get to the Seychelles. It was very important for us. We know we have a really strong team and we had to be at this World Cup.
We’ve seen Italy come from behind and win so many times, including in the quarter- and semi-finals of the last World Cup. Can you tell us about the Italian mentality?
The most important factor is that we’re a big Italian family. This is where the mentality comes from. When you are a family, you will fight with everything for each other. When you’re losing, you’re not just fighting for yourself but for your brothers. I think being a family is what makes us so strong.
Oman, Brazil and El Salvador. What did you think of Italy’s draw?
I think it was a very difficult draw for us. It’s probably the most difficult group. We have respect for every other team, but I think they respect us too. We will try and win all three games and finish first in the group.
What’s the target for Italy at Seychelles 2025?
We always want to do better, and there’s only one way for us to do better: to win the World Cup. We will give it our everything to try and win it. It would be Italy’s first World Cup title and that would be so important for Italian beach soccer. I’ve been dreaming about it since the final was over last year. We’ve all been dreaming about it. The Seychelles is an amazing place, but we’re not going there on holiday. We’re going there to win the World Cup.
You won the Rising Star award in 2022, and have improved a lot since then. Where do you think you rank among the world’s best players?
Firstly, it was a big honour for me to receive the Rising Star trophy. In terms of the best players in the world, I don’t know if there is one who stands out above the rest. There are a lot of great players like Rodrigo, Be Martins, Ozu Moreira, Josep. I always try to do my best, help my team and improve as a player.
Josep won the adidas Golden Ball at the last World Cup. What do you think of him as a player?
Josep is an amazing player. He was incredible at the last World Cup. It’s fantastic to play with him, a pleasure to share the pitch with him. He is so strong, like Rodrigo. For me he’s one of the best in the world.
Who do you rate as the best goalkeeper in the world?
Leandro Casapieri. For me he is the best goalkeeper in the world. He is complete. He does things you can’t believe. I’ve fallen in love with Leandro! He is so strong, such an important player for us.
