On the occasion of the second edition of “Italian Sport Day Worldwide”
the Italian Cultural Institute in Haifa
is pleased to invite you to the third talk in the series:
The evolution of the Italian football language
GLOBAL FOOTBALL: THE RETURN OF ENGLISH AND TODAY’S LINGUISTIC CHALLENGES
Presents Lev Kats, literary translator and interpreter
Tuesday, 16 December 2025, @ 18:00
ONLINE | Webex & YouTube
Free event, in Italian.
To receive the Webex link, please fill out the REGISTRATION FORM.
In an increasingly globalised world and in the age of digital media, the lexicon of Italian football is undergoing a major shift: Anglicisms such as pressing, clean sheet, cooling break and VAR are re-emerging with force, driven by the communication strategies of the Premier League, the Champions League and international streaming platforms. This hybrid lexicon, in which loanwords coexist with their Italian equivalents (match vs partita), accompanies the technical, theoretical and commercial evolution of the game (no-look, xG, tiki-taka, main sponsor) and the technological innovation of the football experience (highlights): a fluid code, at times controversial and not always immediately accessible. The talk explores the contemporary dynamics of football language: from the role of television and the internet to the impact of social media, and the cross-fertilisation between sporting cultures (sarrismo / “Sarriball”). Through the analysis of excerpts from recent match commentaries, it will outline a scenario in which Brera’s “romantic” legacy coexists with the inevitable drive towards global innovation, in a context where English continues to impose itself as the language of sport, technology and international communication.
- Participation is FREE. Event held in ITALIAN, online only.
- To receive the Webex link, please fill out the the REGISTRATION FORM.
Alternatively, you may follow the live event on:
The series | The language of football in Italy is not merely insider jargon for professionals and fans: it is a mirror reflecting the country’s history, its social dynamics, the interplay between popular and academic culture, Italy’s image abroad, and its linguistic and cultural exchanges with other nations. This lecture series is therefore aimed not only at supporters, but at anyone wishing to delve into Italian cultural history from the late 1800s to the present.
Free online event, in Italian.
Tuesday, 16 December 2025, @ 18:00
ONLINE | Webex & YouTube
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Quick glossary
- xG (expected goals): metric indicating the quality of chances created/conceded.
- no-look: pass or touch executed without looking at the recipient.
- cooling break: refreshment break ordered by the referee.
- VAR (Video Assistant Referee): video support for refereeing decisions.
- highlights: summary of the key actions in a match.
- match: football/soccer match; game.
- main sponsor: main shirt sponsor displayed on the team’s kit.
- tiki-taka: playing style based on short, quick passing and ball possession.
- Sarriball / sarrismo: playing philosophy associated with Maurizio Sarri (pressing and rapid passing combinations).
Cover image: Valeria Scuteri, UEFA Champions League Final, 2013