Pietro G Fuciarelli, President of the Federazione Abruzzese del Michigan announced sponsorship support for the XLII Italian Bowl that will be played on July 1, 2023 at the University of Toledo Glass Bowl Stadium. Tickets for Toledo’s Italian Bowl can be purchased here. There are $15 general admission tickets and $30 reserved seats at the Glass Bowl. Club level tickets, which offer premium indoor seating and a buffet, start at $50.

Fuciarelli states “while many Italian Americans in the US are proud to call Abruzzo their home, all Italians share a love of their native country and celebrate their local traditions. We are honored that the Italian Bowl XLII is coming to the US. Our pride as Italians will be in the spotlight and the Italian camaraderie will be a tribute to our heritage and history. Our member’s desire to show our support for the Italian Bowl is acknowledgement of our pride in the Italian-American relationship that began in World War II.”

“American” needs to be put before Football in all the Italian references is because “soccer,” which, is their football, has been around since the 19th century. American football came to Italy with World War II, and achieved some degree of fame thanks to the January 1, 1945 “Spaghetti Bowl,” a game between American Army and Air Force serviceman that was played at Florence’s main stadium (which is home to Serie A’s Fiorentina in 1981).

Consul of Italy Allegra Baistrocchi commented, “I couldn’t be more pleased that such an important event as the final of our Italian Bowl is happening for the first time outside of Italy and specifically in Ohio, the birth place of football! I am calling on the Italian-American community – not only in my Consular jurisdiction, but across the US – to come and support a perfect example of Sports Diplomacy. For the love of Italy. For the love of the US. And for the love of the game!”

The Italian Federation of American Football promotes the U.S. sport with some 100 affiliated teams in Italy that include 10,000-plus male and female players in tackle and flag football leagues. There are youth and senior championships.

The Italian league is not a professional league, and while some athletes are paid a small stipend, and some Americans are recruited and paid to play on teams, most of the players who take to the field simply do it for the love of the sport. 

Approximately 57 teams make up the league’s three divisions with a season that begins in March and ends with the championship game in July. Ranging in age from 16 to 48, most of the players have regular day jobs, such as truck drivers, doctors, teachers, and students. Many are also the sons of former players carrying on the legacy of their love for American football.

The two winning teams from the semifinal match in the league’s first division, or top-tier division, will play in the Italian Bowl for the championship. In Italy, a first division championship game in Florence or Milan could draw up to 2,000 fans, but a second-division team like Ferrara typically draws approximately 500 people. It is hoped that in the US the crowds will exceed 20,000.

Festivities for the game will go beyond the Italian Bowl. Italian Food is considered one of the most popular and most copied in the world. The cuisine has a huge variety of tasty ingredients; Cheeses, pastas, fruits, meats, and fish are common Italian fare. Add a little olive oil and bread and your culinary extravaganza is complete.

Guests from Italy and people of Italian heritage will be making their way to Toledo for the Italian Bowl XLII on July 1, 2023 in the University of Toledo Glass Bowl Stadium. Before the thrill of the gridiron, local restaurants will highlight Italian heritage with a Passport to the Taste of Italy. Almost 40 restaurants have announced their participation in the ‘restaurant bowl dining extravaganza’ running locally June 18-24.

The Mayor’s Cup features a football skills competition between several northwest Ohio and Michigan mayors, including Toledo mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz. It will be held on Sunday, June 25^th at Central Catholic Stadium in Toledo. A concert with international Soprano Mariam Battistelli is planned as well as a celebrity golf tournament. A youth football camps will be held on Friday June 30^th for students in the grades 6-8.

Game day festivities include The Toledo Night Market and Festiva and the thrill of the XLII Italian Bowl broadcast in Toledo and in Italy.

Founded in 1999, La Federazione Abruzzese del Michigan is a Southeastem Michigan community of Italian Americans, who share a common heritage from the region of Abruzzo in eastern Italy. 

The group is composed of hundreds of members of all ages whose goal is to cultivate Abruzzese culture. Events are held that celebrate common traditions and the goal is to pass on the culture to fellow generation of Abruzzese Italian Americans.

The belief is also to share a common identity and tradition as not just members of the Abruzzese community but also as Italian Americans. Being a part of the Italian Bowl supports this mission and honors this shared Italian heritage.